


You Hit Like a Girl

by shaddowsong



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, Rachel Berry & Noah Puckerman Friendship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-23 17:04:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 62,142
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16622909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shaddowsong/pseuds/shaddowsong
Summary: The summer after her sophomore year, Rachel Berry has three goals: 1. Prepare for Glee 2. Befriend Quinn Fabray 3. Create a Lasting Romance with Finn Hudson. By the fourth week of summer she's completely failed two of them. Now what is she supposed to do?





	1. Chapter 1

Rachel Berry thought that the summer after her sophomore year was going to be magnificent. Glee club was secure for at least another year, Quinn had safely delivered a healthy baby girl, and Finn told her that he loved her. While Rachel was a little wary of declarations of love, especially from Finn Hudson, the drama of the before the curtain confession was not lost on her and was, in fact, greatly appreciated. That being said, Rachel devised three very achievable goals for the summer: 1. Prepare for Glee 2. Befriend Quinn Fabray 3. Develop a lasting summer romance with Finn that would stand the test of time. She wrote them out with her gold pen on a clean piece of paper and taped it in front of her elliptical.

The first goal was the easiest to achieve. Rachel set aside two hours every day (one between breakfast and ballet and the other between her MySpace video and bedtime regimen) in order to fully devote herself to Glee. She would lock herself in her soundproof room with a pair of chunky pink headphones, a notebook, and tapes and recordings of past Glee performances. She planned to dissect each and every one of their vocals in order to measure their strengths and weaknesses. The diva had amazing auditory capabilities and was able to pick out the individual voices of her Glee mates. Once each singer's vocal range and quality was established, she began scoring various resources for songs and arrangements that would suit New Directions both as individuals and as a whole. If everything went as planned, and Rachel was pretty sure it would, she would have a set song list for Sectionals and a tentative plan for Regionals before summer was over.

 Her second goal, to become friends with Quinn, made her feel a little apprehensive. The blonde cheerio had always intrigued her. If she was completely honest with herself, and she usually was, she had noticed Quinn long before she had ever noticed Finn, and it wasn't because Quinn was throwing slushies at her. She was the prettiest girl Rachel had ever seen. Sure, she had a fit body (even when lugging around an eight pound human) and her blonde hair made Rachel want to run her fingers through it, or grab a fistful and…do something, but it was her eyes that really drew Rachel in. Quinn's eyes were the most guarded, and most expressive, part of her. If Rachel wanted to judge how successful a song was, she locked onto Quinn's pools of hazel and watched the emotions, or lack thereof, flicker across the surface.

 Rachel was painfully aware of the fact that Quinn had turned her friendship down on numerous occasion. During her pregnancy, she had warmed up to everyone, it seemed, except Rachel. But, Rachel Berry was determined. She just had to wait the appropriate amount of time and strike again, preferably when Quinn was still a little soft with leftover pregnancy hormones. So, two weeks after school ended, Rachel made her move, sending Quinn a quick text message.

  **Rachel:** _Good afternoon, Quinn. I hope your summer has been satisfactory._

 She giddily awaited the reply. She never expected that one wouldn't come.

 The next day she started earlier, during breakfast.

  **Rachel:** _Good morning, Quinn. Have a pleasant day!_

 She sent a text again at lunch, another one at dinner, and one more before bed, never receiving a reply. She was a little bit worried. While she expected to be snapped at, she didn't expect to be completely ignored. Wasn't it common courtesy to respond to a text? What if something had happened? Because she was fairly sure that Quinn, for all her faults (and perfections) was a courteous person. The next day she doubled her efforts, the day after that she tripled them. Finally, just before Rachel sent her customary good night text, Quinn replied.

  **Quinn:** _What the hell, Berry? I don't have unlimited texts._

 Rachel bit her lip, feeling a little bit relieved and a little guilty for using up so many of Quinn's texts.

  **Rachel:** _I apologize, Quinn. I was under the impression my messages weren't getting through, as I never received a reply._

  **Quinn:** _I got them. I just didn't feel like responding._

 Rachel gasped lightly.

  **Rachel:** _Oh. It wasn't my intention to bother you. I thought that, perhaps, we could use this summer as a fresh start. I wish to extend my hand in friendship and support._

 Her phone lit up immediately and she hesitated to look at Quinn's response.

  **Quinn:** _I don't need another friend right now._

 Rachel blinked rapidly, unsure why her eyes were suddenly burning. Hadn't she expected this? And why did it matter so much when she had gone 16 years without Quinn Fabray's friendship? Why…?Her phone beeped and she forced herself to pick it up.

  **Quinn:** _I didn't meant that like it sounded._

 Why was she suddenly so relieved?

  **Quinn:** _Listen, Berry. I need to work on myself right now. I can't focus on that and deal with all of our…issues at the same time._

 Rachel sat down on her bed and pulled one of her pillows close as she debated on how to respond.

  **Rachel:** _I understand. I just wanted to keep in touch. I don't want to begin this school year the way we did last school year._

  **Quinn:** _Berry…_

  **Rachel:** _It would only be a couple of text messages a day, perhaps an email._

  **Quinn:** _I already told you I don't have unlimited texts. And your email address is still marked as spam._

  **Rachel:** _Two. Just give me two texts a day._

 Rachel wasn't sure why she was so desperate, but the ten minutes it took Quinn to respond seemed to crawl by.

  **Quinn:** _Fine. Two. But don't ever expect me to respond._

 Rachel beamed.

  **Rachel:** _Thank you. Goodnight, Quinn._

 Rachel lay back in her bed and thought. She would use one text to say good morning and one to say goodnight. Maybe her text messages would prove to be a constant in Quinn's life and, even if she never responded, Quinn would realize that Rachel was there for her. She sighed, squeezing the pillow tighter. That wasn't going to happen anytime soon. Quinn was stubborn and extremely guarded, and Rachel knew her enough to know that when she said she didn't want any more friends, she meant it. The two texts were a pity allotment. And, while Rachel now knew her second goal was impossible to achieve, she was at least thankful that Quinn was considerate enough to throw her a bone. She supposed, with all of the extra time freed up, she could put more effort into her relationship with Finn, which was already a little unsteady despite her best efforts.

 During the first official week of summer, and the first week of wooing Finn Hudson, Rachel decided that, this time around, she was going to be far more casual and relaxed. She didn't complain when he took her to Breadstix, even though the only vegan dish they carried was a poorly constructed garden salad. She took him bowling and tried to have fun, even when the men in the next lane over got a little inebriated and asked her what it was like living with fairies. She looked over to Finn, who was holding his fingers over the air vent of the ball return and assumed he hadn't heard them. So she fixed the men with her most genuine smile (despite the fact she wanted to slam a bowling ball in their faces) and said that she didn't remember sharing any rooms with Tinkerbell. She was lucky they were jovial drunks, because they just laughed uproariously and turned back to their game. Finn was still by the ball return and when he dropped her off that night she noticed that he looked slightly uncomfortable. She assumed it was because she beat him by one pin, a complete bit of dumb luck on her part considering her lack of skill.

 The next week whenever she called or texted him, no more than three times a day respectively, he was always playing video games and could never seem to talk. While Rachel could appreciate video games as much as any other teenager (she had an extensive collection of Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter games), she didn't understand why Finn couldn't make time for her; especially after such a successful first week. She resolved to change her approach.

 She spent the third week, fresh off of her rejection from Quinn, going through various magazines in order to concoct a series of dates (minus the suggested sex) guaranteed to make a man swoon, or whatever a man's version of swooning was. She was just about to call Finn, after her good morning text to Quinn, when her phone lit up. For a second, she thought it was the blonde responding, but it was Finn. She tried to ignore the slight drop in her smile and read the message.

  **Finn:** _rach need 2 tlk cu prk 11_

 Rachel ignored the slight feeling of trepidation in her stomach.

  **Rachel:** _Ok._

 When Rachel arrived promptly at eleven, Finn was nowhere to be seen. She made her way over to the swings and sat down, scuffing the toe of her black mary janes in the dust at her feet. She heard a door shut and glanced up. Finn walked towards her, his shoulders slightly hunched and his hands in his pockets. She gritted her teeth because she had seen that look on his face before, when he told her he wanted to be a rock star.

 She forced a smile. "Finn! To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

 He stopped in front of her, squinting as he looked down. "Rach… this isn't going to work."

 "What do you mean?" Her hands gripped onto the chains tighter.

"We're just too different."

 "Too different? We did everything you wanted the last couple of weeks. I didn't complain when you ignored me in favor of Call of Duty. I haven't even made matching calendars."

 "I know, Rach. But you don't really like those things anyways. And you don't like football either, and that's a big part of who I am."

 "I don't have to enjoy everything you do, Finn. And, it's not that I don't like football, I just don't understand it completely. Even if I didn't like it, I would tolerate it for you and perhaps even come to enjoy it. A relationship is supposed to be give and take."

 "And you always take, Rach."

 "What are you talking about? I give a lot of things. I sat there in that bowling alley while drunken bigots mocked my fathers and didn't really say anything because I wanted you to have fun."

 Rachel's eyes narrowed as she saw the same look of discomfort from that night pass across his face.

 "Finn Hudson, are you breaking up with me because my fathers are gay, and you can't handle the pressure?"

 "Of course not!" he snapped, his cheeks turning red. "You know I don't have a problem with your gay dads."

 Rachel jumped off of the swing and stood on her tiptoes, her eyes blazing.

 "Yes, you are! You heard what those people said and didn't say anything. You let me deal with them alone, because you were afraid and you didn't want them to associate you with the fairies, too!"

 "Rach..."

 "And they're not my GAY dads, Finn. They're my DADS. You've never been able to accept that and I say good riddance to you!"

 She shoved past him and stormed all the way to her car, angry tears streaking down her face.

 It was only after the day slipped past and she lay in her bed, her face buried in a pillow, that she realized four weeks hadn't even passed and she had already irrevocably failed two of her three goals.

 


	2. Chapter 2

When Rachel woke up the next morning, she tried to be okay. It didn't work when, as soon as she stepped onto her elliptical, she was greeted with the sight of her goals for the summer. She closed her eyes to ignore it, her arms and legs pumping faster as she tried to work out her frustration. She wasn't heartbroken about she and Finn's parting of ways, just angry and a little hurt. Angry that she had wasted so much effort, angry that she allowed him to sway her, angry at him for being such a simpering fool, and hurt that, for someone who was supposed to be her friend, he was such a homophobic coward. His fears might not have been a full-blown case of queer hating homophobia, but it was homophobia nonetheless. The more she thought about it the angrier she got until, finally, her eyes snapped open and she got off of her elliptical, storming over to the list taped on the wall and ripping it to shreds. By the time she was done, her chest was heaving and it wasn't because of the exercise. It was at times like this that Rachel wished she hadn't been banned from sparring at the local karate dojo. It wasn't her fault they neglected to tell her she couldn't use capoeira. Now they had a sign in their front window and her picture was in the office. Rachel sighed and went to take a shower, determined to not think at all.

When she went downstairs for breakfast there was a note from her dad apologizing for missing breakfast because he had to go into the hospital early. Her dad was a doctor in the ER and during the summer he tried to have the mornings off so he and Rachel could have breakfast together. Her daddy was a cop and his shifts usually started at 5 am so Rachel never saw him off. She was kind of thankful they were both at work this particular morning because she wasn't looking forward to telling them about Finn. They had never really liked him, but they were going to be furious, and she wasn't sure if she could convince her daddy that he didn't need "a good talking to."

Rachel made some toast and pulled out some fruit. Before she started eating, she sent a text to Quinn.

**Rachel: Good morning, Quinn. I hope you have a spectacular day.**

Rachel drummed her fingers on the counter top, languidly eating her breakfast. She was having a hard time accepting the fact that her carefully thought out summer goals were now worthless and she didn't have anything to replace them with.

While her first goal was still achievable, and Rachel was the consummate professional, it was going to be hard to listen to Finn's voice or pick out songs that would suit Finn's vocal range when every time she thought of him she wanted to cry or make someone cry. She tried to sing it out, but her voice could only take so many angry rock songs. Perhaps she could borrow her daddy's Eminem CD. While he wasn't partial to rap, he insisted on owning anything put out by a Detroit based artist. Eminem might not be the best vocalist, but he knew something about anger.

Rachel meant it when she said good riddance to Finn, so she wasn't saddened about the loss of that particular goal (or that particular person). She was, however, sad at the loss of a goal in general. Rachel was the type of person who needed an end in sight in order to put her best foot forward. She was a very visual person.

The loss of her second goal bothered her the most and she still wasn't sure why. Just like she wasn't sure why she couldn't bring herself to scrap it completely. If Quinn didn't talk to her, and she made it pretty clear she wasn't going to, Rachel couldn't befriend her. It was already obvious that Quinn didn't hate her, she had allowed her those two text messages, so she couldn't make "Get Quinn to not hate me" her new goal. Maybe "Get Quinn to respond to a text message"? Rachel shook her head and popped a grape into her mouth. She knew herself enough to know that if that was her goal she would resort to ridiculous measures to achieve it. She wanted Quinn to like her, not strangle her. For now all she could say about her second goal was that it involved Quinn and, even though it was vague, it would have to do. The problem was that it still left Rachel with too much free time and she didn't know what to do with it.

Throughout the day Rachel pondered her dilemma. She thought about maybe trying to befriend one of her other glee mates but, the more she thought about it, the more she realized it wasn't a good idea. Mercedes had made it perfectly clear before school let out that she didn't want to hear from the diva over the summer, glee related or otherwise. Kurt still viewed her as a rival both for solos and for Finn's affections. Though Finn was no longer a problem, he was in the sense that he and Kurt lived together and that would be all kinds of awkward. Rachel actually felt sorry for Kurt, living with Finn. He would never stick up for Kurt the way he needed him too.

Moving on, the little diva had never been inclined to become best buddies with Artie, especially when she heard from Tina about his obsession with Call of Duty that lead to him ignoring her for long periods of time. Rachel considered Tina her friend, though she wasn't sure the feeling was mutual. The Goth was going to be at Asian camp for most of the summer. So was Mike, which she had heard from Matt. Matt was also someone she considered a tentative friend, but he had moved right after the school year ended. Her dad and his mom worked together and she told him Matt's father had received a job off out of state. Rachel had been intent on throwing Matt a going away party, but he quietly told her he didn't want to make a big deal of it, so she hadn't.

There were three people left in Glee club: Brittany, Santana, and Puck. Rachel liked to think she and Brittany had a kind of secret friendship ever since kindergarten when they shared a cubbyhole. Brittany had never called her names or slushied her and she had never called Brittany stupid. It helped that Brittany was a fantastic dancer. While she wouldn't mind exploring their friendship, she knew Santana wouldn't appreciate it. She and the Latina had only recently come to an understanding: Rachel didn't believe Santana was Satan incarnate and Santana didn't always want to kill Rachel. Truth be told, Rachel sometimes thought they had the potential to be incredible friends, but now was not the time to test that theory. That left Puck and Puck had ruined the best friendship she had ever had.

Rachel and Noah had been best friends since before they could walk. Lima was a small town and the Jewish community stuck together. She and Noah had bathed together. Some time around fifth grade, Noah started to pull away and by the time sixth grade started there was only Puck. It was as if Noah and their friendship never existed. Rachel still didn't know what had happened or how to deal with it. When he had offered her that slushy and asked her to be his girlfriend she had thought, for a moment, she was getting her friend back. But he wasn't back and Rachel didn't want to take that risk again. So, she resolved herself to another friendless summer.

By the time her parents came home for dinner, she was still agitated and they noticed. It took her an hour to convince them that it wouldn't do any good to go and yell at Finn, that he wasn't worth it. She talked to them about her goals and, though they exchanged an odd look when she talked about Quinn, they supported her. Her dad asked her why she couldn't just befriend Brittany away from Santana and Rachel laughed so hard she almost cried. She wasn't sure how to explain the complexities of Brittany and Santana's relationship, so she settled for kissing him on the forehead.

Rachel had hoped to be sufficiently relaxed by bedtime, but after listening to Finn sing "Faithfully" she wanted to do something. She tried to push the feeling away and get ready for bed, changing into matching yellow sleep pants and top. She sent Quinn a text ( **Good night, Quinn. I hope you sleep peacefully.)** and settled beneath the covers. At midnight she was still staring up at her ceiling. She tried counting sheep, humming, full out singing, but nothing worked. She had this frantic energy in her body and she needed to let it out. She threw the covers off of her body and slipped out of bed, switching her pajama pants for a pair of athletic shorts and a pair of shoes. She grabbed her phone and taped a note on her bedroom door in case her dads got up in the middle of the night to check on her. Going for a run in the middle of the night might not be the smartest idea in the world, but her elliptical wasn't going to cut it.

She arrived at a small park approximately 3.6 miles from her house before her nerves started to settle. It wasn't the park Finn had asked her to, but an older park that had been closed for several years. There was only one set of swings, a decrepit teeter totter, and there used to be a really tall slide, until some little kid broke his arm. The park also bordered a small section of forest (another reason it was closed). Rachel loved it and she had spent most of her childhood there. Now there was a locked gate and even the delinquents stayed away.

Rachel wiped the sweat off of her face and climbed over the gate. The top layer of the teeter totter crumbled when she touched it. The diva sighed and looked towards the woods. One summer she and Noah had spent their days sneaking supplies out of their houses to build a tree house. She wondered if it was still there. She bit her lip and made her way into the woods.

When she found the tree, she was pleasantly surprised to see the tree house still mostly intact. A couple of the steps were broken but Rachel was confident in her tree climbing abilities. She reached the top step, her eyes barely peeking over the floor, and froze. There was a body in there. She was about to scramble down when she saw the mohawk. Puck's back was to her and he sat with his legs dangling over the edge of the tree house where one of their poorly constructed walls had disappeared. He didn't seem to notice her and she didn't know what to do. After several moments of internal debate she hoisted herself into the tree house.

He didn't look at her until she sat down beside him and, even then, it was barely a glance. Rachel stared off into the treetops and kicked her feet. For once, she didn't feel compelled to talk or offer him any words of wisdom. She didn't want to really look at him because she didn't want to see what he had done to himself. She heard through the grapevine that he had been having a hard time since Beth had been given up for adoption. They sat like that for an hour, not looking at each other and not saying a word. The frantic energy finally seeped out of her body and, when it was gone, she got up and slipped out of the tree house.

It was 2:30 before she got home and when she finally crawled into bed, she slept.


	3. Chapter 3

Rachel went back to the park every night for a week. Her parents hadn't said anything yet, but she knew they were aware of her nighttime excursions. Her daddy had presented her with a roll of reflective tape one night after dinner. The truth was that she didn't really know what to tell them if they did ask what she was doing. She would text Quinn goodnight, lay in bed until she couldn't stand it anymore, run to the park, and then sit next to Puck until she didn't feel like she was going to jump out of her skin. He was always there when she arrived and she always left before he did. Sometime he had a beer and sometimes he didn't. Sometimes she looked at him long enough to notice the bruises, but mostly she didn't. They stared at the leaves and breathed in the silence. That was it.

Rachel began taking power naps in the afternoon. It was impossible to sing, do ballet, yoga, capoeira, and exercise without adequate sleep. Some days her body felt tired but she still couldn't sleep. It was almost as if breaking up and finally breaking away from Finn had free her to… do something. She thought of Quinn and Noah and she couldn't figure out why. Two people who had spurned her friendship and caused her more heartbreak than any other people in her life and she thought of them more than she thought about Broadway. The frantic buzzing in her body made her feel like she was getting ready for a big performance and she was ready and anxious to do it. But, lying in her bed, she had no idea what the performance was or when it was coming.

On the eighth night, Rachel decided to fully embrace her nighttime ramblings. She sent Quinn a text ( **It's a beautiful night, Quinn, I hope you were able to enjoy it. Sleep well.** ) and pulled out one of her t shirts. Instead of slipping it on and going to bed, she found the roll of tape her daddy had given her and used it to create a star on the back and the front of it. At least her parents could rest assured that she was visible to drivers and stars happened to be her thing. She smoothed a piece of tape over the first star, her eyes unfocused. They hadn't always been her thing. She blamed her interest in them, like the small scar near her hairline, on Noah.

Rachel had always known that she wanted to be a star, but it never occurred to her to make them her trademark. She and Noah were five and they were known for being trouble when they were together. They had to stay in for recess and help the teacher clean up craft supplies because they had spent nap time whispering about their favorite dinosaurs instead of sleeping. The teacher had to step outside for a minute and when she came back in Little Rachel and Little Noah were covered in glue and a mixture of gold glitter and little silver stars. Even though it was an accident, she never believed they hadn't done it on purpose. It took three days for stars to stop falling from Rachel's hair. Noah said it was cool that people could always tell where she went. He called her Superstar. So the next time she went to the store with her fathers, they bought her a package of gold star stickers and she picked out a package of dinosaur stickers for Noah. Rachel wouldn't admit it if anyone asked, but she was the first person to call him Puckasaurus, and it had nothing to do with his penis.

When Rachel arrived at the tree house, she was surprised to find she was the only one there. She took her customary position anyway. Disappointment. Worry. Maybe a little bit of hurt. The list of things she shouldn't feel but did anyway. It wasn't as if they had a standing engagement, and they didn't really interact. They were just two people who happened to be sharing the same space at the same time. Except they weren't. They were Rachel Barbara Berry and Puck. They were Superstar and Puckasaurus.

She blinked when she heard the scrape of boots against tree bark. She didn't turn to look at him as he made his way over, just like he had never turned to look at her. She didn't plan to look at him at all but when he shifted his breath would catch and every once in a while he would hiss lightly. So, she turned to look at him.

Puck wore a dingy stained wife beater that still looked a little damp. His lip was busted and bleeding and there was an angry purple bruise blossoming on his cheekbone. Bruises of varying degrees peppered his arms and Rachel was pretty sure his ribs were bruised. His knuckles were red and swollen and it confirmed Rachel's suspicions: he had been going to his fight club to deal with his feelings about Quinn and Beth.

Rachel bit her lip and turned back towards the trees. She felt torn. Part of her wanted to say something and another part just wanted to go home and crawl under her blankets and sleep. When had anything she ever said been taken without anger? Why risk ruining whatever it was they had? But he was sitting next to her and he was broken. How could she not try to fix him?

Rachel kept her eyes fixed forward and slowly lifted her hand and placed it over his. He didn't flinch and relief trickled through her.

"You look like a piece of meat, Noah. You know I'm morally opposed to anything being butchered."

He grunted and she licked her lips before continuing. "I would think something would stop being fun once you could no longer breathe without wincing."

"It's not supposed to be fun, Berry, it's supposed to hurt."

Rachel nodded and hummed. "You know, I could always beat you up if you'd like. You wouldn't even have to pay me. I'd happily wave the fifty dollar entry fee."

Puck scoffed and Rachel huffed. "Noah Puckerman, you seem to forget that I'm a very adept capoerista."

He chuckled, "You still do that dancing shit?"

"Just because you stopped coming to watch my games doesn't mean I stopped going."

"I didn't… I thought Mr. Vasquez died."

"He did. We meant one of his former students at his funeral and he offered to teach me. We skype lessons three times a week and once a month I go to Columbus for a one on one session."

"What level are you now?"

"Trainee. Yellow and blue. Next step up and I'll be studying to be a teacher."

"No shit?"

"Of course I'm not kidding, Noah. I'm slightly offended that you would suggest such a thing. Nevertheless, my point is that if you want somebody to snap you in half I can, and I'll look like I'm dancing while doing it."

Noah put his hand over hers and squeezed. "It's not about that."

"I know. I don't know exactly how you feel, but I know." She paused. "But you can't keep doing this."

"It's better than drinking myself into a ditch."

"That's debatable. Both can cause extensive brain damage and both are entirely unhealthy."

"I need something."

"We're both reasonably smart and good looking Jews, Noah. I'm sure we could think of something."

She could hear him smirking."Are you propositioning me, Berry?"

Rachel huffed and smacked his arm, not feeling the least bit bad when he groaned. "I'm serious. We'll think of something and if I find out you go back to that fight club I will come down there and beat you up myself."

He sighed, "Fine."

Rachel blinked, "Fine?"

"If you come up with something good."

Rachel nodded and they stared at the trees in silence until she left.

She spent the next day trying to think of a way to keep Puck from getting seriously injured. While she still made sure to text Quinn, she cleared the rest of her schedule. Puck had lost a daughter. Any good man would be devastated and, for all his faults, Puck was a good man. He lost a part of himself, just like Quinn. Rachel couldn't imagine how much she was hurting and she really wished that she could help her, take some of the pain away. She couldn't though, so she resolved to be there for Noah. Quinn had told Rachel that she needed to work on herself. Obviously, Puck needed to work on himself. Who was he? Self proclaimed bad boy? Sex shark? Glee geek? Football player?

Rachel leaned back in her desk chair and twirled her gold pen. Puck was a football player. As she had told Finn, she didn't necessarily understand the game, but she had heard that for some athletes the game was everything—their stress relief, their joy, even their anti drug. Maybe they could use it as Puck's release. It was a physical sport, perfect for burning off energy and excess emotions. If he really needed a little bit of pain, she was sure getting tackled would do it for him. She could help him set up a training regiment and he would be in tiptop shape for the upcoming season. Maybe he could improve and get noticed. Puck might think of himself as a Lima loser sometimes, but Rachel knew Noah was worth more than that. She fully believed he could get a football scholarship and get out of this town.

She frowned. There was only one problem. Who would practice with Puck? Matt was gone, Mike was at camp, and she wouldn't trust Finn any farther than she could throw him. He was still upset about Quinn and the baby. Maybe she could do it? She was small, but strong and fit. Between her dancing lessons and capoeira she was in peak physical condition. He could teach her the basics and she could help devise various training exercises. If he really needed a body, she could step in. Rachel nodded to herself. This could work.

Puck laughed when she told him, so hard she thought he was going to fall out of the tree house. Then he realized she was serious and, for the first time since they started meeting up, they met each other's eyes as he stared her down.

"You're telling me you want to learn how to play football so you can help me practice, so I can get a scholarship?"

"And quit the fight club, yes."

"I thought you hated football."

"That's ridiculous, Noah. My daddy used to play in high school. I've just never understood the mechanics or the appeal."

"But you want to learn it, and play it, for me?"

"Yes, though I am fairly certain I won't actually have to play."

Puck raised his eyebrow. "Are you sure this isn't some weird way to get into my pants?"

Rachel huffed. "Noah Puckerman, I wouldn't sleep with you if you were the last person on Earth."

He smirked. "That's not what you were saying earlier this year."

Rachel clenched her jaw in order to keep the "I missed you" from slipping out. She glared at him.

"Just kidding, babe."

"Well, I'm not. About any of it."

Puck sighed and ran his hand over his Mohawk. "I'm going to have to teach you the basics first."

"That sounds fantastic! How shall we commence? Is there a rule book? Should we watch tapes? Do—"

"Take a breath, babe. I think I have a book somewhere that Coach gave us, but I think there's a much better way I can teach you."

"Which is?"

"Just come by my house tomorrow. Not before noon."

At approximately 12:01 in the afternoon, Rachel knocked on the Puckerman's door. She was a little apprehensive. When she and Noah were friends, she had been a frequent guest of the Puckerman residence. His mother was like a mother to her. Rachel still saw her at synagogue, but it wasn't the same. She didn't really know his sister, Sarah, and she wouldn't know what to say if one of them opened the door. Rachel was relieved when Noah answered.

"Berry..."

"It's after noon, Noah. I waited just as you requested."

He grunted and turned around, leaving the door open for her to follow him. As they made their way to the living room, Rachel was struck with how familiar it still was. Simple. Warm. Worn. Puck kneeled in front of the TV and started to hook up the Play Station.

"Noah, what are you doing? I thought you were going to teach me the basics of football?"

"I am." He hit the power button and handed her a controller. "We're playing Madden. I'll teach you what's what."

Rachel eyed him dubiously.

He smirked, "Don't you trust me?"

She settled back on the couch. "No."

For the next four days she played Madden with Puck and he taught her the basic concepts. ( "Jesus, Berry. I said throw it to the wide receiver, not hand it off to the running back!" "You don't run on a 4th and 8! Punt, Berry, punt!") Part of her was wary. He had accepted everything to easily. It was like he was trying to placate her with the video games and wait for her to let it go. He hadn't even let her touch a real football and didn't seem keen on developing any exercise regimens.

Rachel hadn't gone to the tree house since they developed their tentative plan because she assumed Puck wouldn't be there anymore either. He wasn't supposed to be fighting any longer. The frantic energy in her body hadn't left so she worked on her elliptical until she couldn't move and then went to bed.

On the fifth day, she realized it had been a mistake. When Noah opened the door, he had a colorful black eye. They stood there for a moment, Rachel staring and the bruise and Puck avoiding her gaze. Then Rachel walked into the house and turned the game on. When they were done Rachel smiled bright and wide and said, "See you later, Noah."

At dinner that night she asked her fathers for fifty dollars. She told them about her nighttime jogs and trying to befriend Puck. She asked them not to ask what she was doing with the money. They were wary, but her daddy trusted her and her dad had always like Noah. They gave her the money and told her to be safe.

Rachel didn't get ready for bed that night. She sent Quinn's text an hour early ( **I hope you've had a successful day. Sweet dreams.** ) and began her preparations. She spent a short time meditating before changing in to a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. She stretched her muscles, put on a pair of shoes, and headed to her car. It wasn't very hard to find the building. Puck's truck was parked out front. She parked and gripped the steering wheel for a minute before she took a deep breath, got out of the car, and walked in.

There were about 20 people packed into the room and it was obvious not all of them were fighters. The fights hadn't started yet but it was still loud and sweaty and Rachel fought against wrinkling her nose. No one noticed her arrival. She walked up to a man sitting at what appeared to be the sign up table and cleared her throat. He eyed her curiously.

"Are you lost, miss?"

"No, sir. I would like to sign up for tonight's festivities."

The man smiled condescendingly, "There aren't any festivities here, sweetheart. This is a fight club."

"I am fully aware what this is. I was referring to the fight."

"Sweetheart…"

"Save whatever undoubtedly sexist remark that is about to come out of your mouth. I assure you I know exactly what I am signing up for. Take my fifty dollars and let me fight Puckerman."

The man's mouth opened and closed before glanced at Puck, who still hadn't noticed her. "Whatever he did—"

Rachel leaned over the table. "Take the fifty dollars."

He snapped his mouth shut and nodded. "He's one of our better fighters. You're going to have to fight someone lower down first."

"But I'll get to fight him tonight?"

"Yes."

"Fine."

"Then I need your fighting name and you can take a seat."

Rachel didn't hesitate, "Superstar."

She sat in the back behind a group of rowdy spectators. She watched three matches. They were all crude and bloody. The fighters mostly fell into two groups: bored teenagers and men trying to recapture the passion of their youth. She watched Puck watch them. His face was devoid of any emotion. Finally they called her name and she saw Puck's eyes widen before she turned to inspect her opponent. He was in his early 20's, athletic but not fit.

He stared at her. "Is this a joke?"

The man from the table shook his head.

He turned to her. "Listen, chick—"

Rachel glared. "I'm not here to fight you. You're merely an appetizer. I'm not going to go easy on you and I would appreciate the same respect."

He frowned but fell into a loose boxing stance. She moved lightly on her feet. The man yelled fight. Normally it was about the dance, the game, but Rachel wasn't doing this for fun. She had him curled on his side clutching his abdomen with a few well-placed kicks and a throw. It took less than 5 minutes. Someone raised her arm in the air and she caught Pucks gaze. She slowly dragged her thumb across her throat. He nodded. She sat through three more matches before the man stood in the ring and said "Superstar and Puckasaurus to the ring."

They stared and each other. Noah was shirtless and mottled with bruises and it made Rachel want to scream. His eyes were dark and sad but angry. When he raised his fists into position Rachel saw the hesitance in his eyes and it made her furious. When the man yelled Rachel dropped her stance, took a step forward, and backhanded Puck so hard his head snapped to the side. There was silence, a gasp, and when he turned back towards her Rachel saw Noah. His right hook caught her in the side and then she was dancing around him with sweeping kicks. They were eight again and his dad had just left for good and he was angry at everything. He was in her backyard punching their shed as hard as he could while his mother cried in the living room and Rachel was tackling him. They were punching and kicking and scratching, their bodies crashing together frantically. They were crying and sweating and couldn't tell which drop was which. When they were little, Rachel's dads had to pry them apart and Little Rachel and Little Noah had started laughing.

This time Rachel had to stop herself, her elbow pressed against his neck. The man was yelling at them to stop and they lay there gulping the air. She saw the relief in Noah's eyes and the lingering sadness. She stood up and offered him her hand. He shook his head. She nodded and shrugged off the man trying to raise her arm.

She walked to her car and drove home laughing.


	4. Chapter 4

When Rachel's alarm went off at 6 o'clock in the morning, she studiously ignored it. Her whole body ached, some placed a little more than others. She didn't get up until her dad pounded on her door. When she looked at the clock, it was 8:30.

"Rachel Barbara Berry! It's time to get up, your breakfast is getting cold."

She groaned and sat up slowly, "Hold on." She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes and winced when she brushed a scratch on her right eyelid. Her hand found it's way to her phone and she shot Quinn a quick text ( **Morning** ) before shuffling over and unlocking the door. "Good morning, Dad."

Her father's jaw dropped. Rachel almost wished she had taken the time to look in a mirror, because if his face was any indication, she looked pretty horrible. She could feel a bruise on her jaw and the scratch over her eye made her feel like Scar. At least Noah hadn't gotten her nose. Her body felt like it had been properly tenderized, but she could breathe well and she wasn't limping.

She caught her father's eyes and smiled, "Is there something on my face? It's not a pimple is it because that would be horrible. We paid good money for—"

Her father pointed at her, "You..you… downstairs. Now."

Rachel winced. He dad, Hiram, was normally as articulate as she was. She followed him downstairs and sat on the couch as directed. He left the room and came back a couple of minutes later with a first aid kit.

"Shirt off, young lady."

"Dad," she pouted.

"Now, Rachel. I need to check your ribs."

She sighed, pulling up her shirt. "I'm sure they're fine."

Her father's face was tight as he inspected her. He got out some salve for her bruises and scratches. If Rachel didn't know any better, she would think she had gotten into a really violent catfight.

"I called your father, he's on his way home."

"Dad! That was completely unnecessary. Daddy had a very important job to do and—"

"I think this is a little more important than writing speeding tickets."

"I am perfectly fine. And, I take offence on Daddy's behalf that you would think so little of his job to say it consisted only of writing tickets. As a police officer—"

"Listen, missy, you're in trouble. If I were you I would keep my answers succinct."

Rachel huffed and then winced when her dad touched a particularly tender spot on her ribs. Her daddy was not going to be happy. In general, Elias Berry was the more relaxed of her parents. He was a tall black man who had spent his childhood surrounded but a large family. He got dirty, played hard, and played to win, but his mother had taught him to always have fun and to accept the things that couldn't be changed. Rachel had never met any of his family because her grandmother couldn't accept her own advice and had kicked Elias out in high school when she found out he was gay. Her daddy had to create a family of his own. Because of his experiences, he was more likely to let her learn to make her own mistakes, to take risks. When it came to the rules of the Berry household, however, he was a stickler. Integrity and respect were important above all else.

Her dad, Hiram, was very different. He was short, obviously Jewish, and he fussed over everything. He was an only child and his mother was the stereotypical Jewish woman. He acted a lot like her and had mastered the use of guilt to win arguments. However, Rachel was pretty adept at guilt trips too and she could always get her dad to fold like a deck of cards when it came to punishment.

He had just finished putting disinfectant on the scratch on her eye, when they heard the door close and her daddy walked in. He looked at Rachel and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Explain to me how this isn't a clear violation of my trust."

"Well, you didn't specify that I had to come back in one piece, only that I had to be safe."

"This is safe?"

"Very safe."

Hiram scoffed and Elias shook his head. He sat down next to Rachel.

"We gave you fifty dollars, didn't we? Did you know that happens to be the entry fee to the local fight club?"

Hiram gasped, "Rachel, that's illegal!"

Rachel crossed her arms, "So is gay marriage in the state of Ohio, but you and Daddy got married anyway!"

"That's not even remotely the same!"

Elias sighed, "Both of you need to calm down. Rachel, the truth, or I'm going to call your aunt."

Rachel spoke quickly, "Noah's been having a hard time and has been frequenting the fight club. I talked to him and he said he'd stop. I was going to help him work on football to replace it. I told him if I found out he went again I would go there and beat him up. Long story short, I found out he went back and I did what I said I would."

Hiram grabbed her hand, "Noah did this to you?"

"It was a fight club, dad." She turned to Elias, "Do you remember when his dad left?"

He frowned, thinking. "You mean when you fought in the yard?"

She nodded, "It was like that."

He gently placed his arms around her shoulders and kissed her head, "Do I need to send your father over to his house and make sure he's still alive?"

"Probably, but he wouldn't appreciate it."

Hiram squeezed her hand, "Rachel, I know you're a capable young woman, but you're still my pumpkin, so no more fight club. I understand why you did it, but you should have warned us. You're still in trouble."

Rachel pouted.

Her daddy cleared his throat. "I bet you want to stay in bed all day."

She eyed him suspiciously, "That would be wonderful."

"Well, it's too bad your dad needs help running errands. Shopping, wasn't it? Lots of heavy bags to carry. If you're going to fight, you're going to suck it up and get on with life. Time stops for no one, especially people with your impetuous nature." He stood up and kissed them both on the forehead. "I have to go back to work. Hiram, I'm feeling like a turkey dinner, maybe 20 pounds or so, how about you?"

As far as Rachel was concerned, grocery shopping was just awful. Her dad was making her do everything and she was sure he was buying some stuff just so she would have to pick it up. Like the turkey. Not only was it heavy, it was morally reprehensible. She was in pain and people were gaping at her. Frankly, Rachel was used to attention; she thrived off of it. She wasn't ashamed of her battered appearance at all, but when she saw a woman throw a dirty look at her father, it made her a little sick.

Rachel had just turned down the frozen food aisle when she saw Quinn standing there with her mother. She squeaked and backed up quickly, running into her father.

"What's wrong, pumpkin?"

Rachel's heart thundered in her chest. "Quinn's there."

Her father's eyebrows rose. "Quinn? As in Quinn Fabray? The girl who doesn't want to be your friend but you plan on charming into submission anyway?"

"Yes, that Quinn. But I'm not trying to charm her into submission."

"Mhmm. So, what's the hold up?"

"I can't go down there, Dad!"

"Why not? Don't you want to show off your new look?"

"It's not that. I don't know what the protocol is! What if I'm breaking the rules? This is beyond texting."

"Rachel…" Hiram put his hand on her shoulder, "You two live in the same town. It's expected for you to run into one another from time to time. If she can't accept that, if she doesn't realize that she's not in control of everything, maybe she's not the kind of friend you want."

Rachel frowned, "She's not like that, not anymore. Quinn is strong and beautiful and good. Our…relationship is just so fragile. I don't want to destroy it. I need her to be my friend, Dad."

"Then go be her friend. Where's the confident Rachel I know? The girl who's destined for Broadway? The girl who went to the club and got those bruises?"

Rachel sighed, "I'm here, Dad. It's just… with Quinn, everything is different."

He nudged her forward, "Just be polite. Now move, frozen peas wait for no man or woman."

Rachel took a deep breath and pushed the cart forward. Quinn and her mother were still in the same spot, the blonde cheerio's back to her. Rachel's palms were getting sweaty and her heart just about pounded out of her chest when she realized the Fabray women were standing directly in front of the vegetable she needed. Rachel brought the cart to a stop and Quinn glanced up with a slight scowl on her face. Then she did a double take and the scowl fell away leaving Quinn staring at her with wide eyes. Rachel squirmed under her gaze.

"H-hello, Quinn, Mrs. Fabray. If you'll just excuse me, I need to slip passed you to grab some snow peas."

"For your face?" Quinn blurted out and then snapped her mouth shut.

"Quinn!" Judy gasped. Hiram just chuckled.

Rachel blushed, "Actually, I think they are for a salad. Or maybe a stir fry."

She squeezed past Quinn, careful not to touch her and grabbed the vegetable and put them in her cart. Her dad nudged her.

"Rachel, aren't you going to introduce me to your friend?"

She turned cautiously towards him and he smiled. She allowed herself to glare at him for a second.

"Of course, Dad, where are my manners. Father, this is Quinn and Mrs. Judy Fabray. Quinn and Mrs. Fabray, this is my dad, Dr. Hiram Berry."

Judy smiled hesitantly and offered her hand to her him. "It's Ms. Fabray now, actually. It's a pleasure to meet you. Is your husband here as well?"

"The pleasure is all mine and, no, he's at work. I'll say, Quinn, it's nice to finally meet you. Rachel always talks about what a great singer you are. In fact—"

Rachel elbowed him discreetly, "I'm sure Quinn doesn't want to hear about that. Shouldn't we be going? Didn't you say something about dry cleaning?"

.He smiled, "Of course. How could I forget? Quinn. Ms. Fabray."

Rachel ignored Quinn's raised eyebrow and practically raced out of the aisle. She didn't stop until they were a good two rows away.

"What was that?" Rachel snapped.

"What was what?" her dad asked innocently.

"You're not a very good actor."

"You do talk about her."

"She doesn't need to know that!"

"Maybe she does."

Rachel frowned and her dad sighed.

"Pumpkin, I'm going to go find the coffee. Take a moment to get it together, okay?"

Rachel nodded and stared at the turkey in her cart. She didn't like feeling so out of sorts. Quinn made her feel so any different things that she couldn't pinpoint specific emotions.

"Berry."

Rachel jumped and looked up to see Quinn standing in front of her with her arms crossed over her chest. It was strange to see Quinn both without her uniform and without her baby bump, but Rachel thought she was beautiful. Her hair was down and it made Rachel's fingers twitch. She started to get distracted by her eyes, so she shook her head lightly and licked her lips.

"Quinn. Am I in your way? If so, I apol—"

"I see why my text was so short and inarticulate this morning. What happened?"

Rachel stuttered, "I, well, you see—"

Quinn took a step closer and Rachel inhaled sharply.

"Did Finn do this to you?"

Rachel gasped and then recovered quickly, "Finn Hudson? Absolutely not."

"Rachel, you don't have to protect him."

Quinn looked so worried that it made Rachel's heart clench.

"I assure you, Quinn, that Finn Hudson did not do this to me. He doesn't have the spine, or the balls. Besides, I haven't seen him since we broke up."

Quinn stepped back. "You two broke up?

"Several weeks ago."

Quinn glared, "And you didn't think to mention it to me?"

The quick change of mood flustered Rachel. "I didn't think you would care. Besides, I didn't want to waste one of my texts talking about Finn."

Quinn tapped her foot, "I limited the number of texts you could use, not the number of words. I was wondering why, for someone so verbose and articulate, you limited yourself to no more than two short sentences."

"You actually read them? Wait. Are you suggesting that your disappointed but how short said messages are?"

Quinn's eyes narrowed. "What I'm saying is that you should share pertinent information."

"How was it pertinent? You don't care who I date."

"You're right, I don't. Look, just stop changing the subject and tell me what happened."

"But you're the one who keeps changing—"

Quinn stepped forward again and her voice came out in a low growl.

"Rachel."

The hairs on the back of Rachel's neck stood up and she gulped, "Yes, Quinn?"

Quinn's eyes were practically glowing with… was it anger?

"What happened?"

"I was just helping a friend out."

Quinn raised her eyebrow.

"Okay, we were sparring. Things got a little out of hand."

Quinn searched her face before stepping back again and rolling her eyes. "Something you do get out of hand? Shocker."

Rachel huffed and relaxed now that they were in familiar territory, "I have no idea to what you could be referring to."

"Don't make this a habit," Quinn said gesturing to Rachel's bruised body.

Rachel tilted her head slightly to the side. Quinn was being entirely serious.

"Okay."

"Whatever, Berry. I've got to go."

She began walking away when Rachel called out, "Wait, Quinn. I wanted to let you know that you look magnificent."

Rachel thought she saw Quinn blush slightly before turning away. Rachel's eyes followed her until she disappeared.

Rachel spent the rest of the day in bed listening to songs for Glee. When dinner came, her daddy laughed about her dad's antics at the grocery store. By 10 o'clock she was ready for bed. She hesitated before sending Quinn 's text. She bit her lip as she typed.

**Rachel: Quinn, you'll never guess who I saw at the grocery store today. Have a wonderful night.**


	5. Chapter 5

Two days had passed since Rachel and Noah's fight and she was still sore and a little bit worried. She was fairly certain than Noah was in worse condition than she was considering his previous injuries. No matter how much she wanted to check on him, she refrained because he was in control now. She had laid out all of her cards and offered him her hand and it was up to him to reach out and grab it. It bothered her to not be in control of the situation, but Noah was one of the few people she wouldn't push.

At 8 o'clock, she sat down at her desk to record her MySpace video. She wanted to sing "Love the way you lie" but she lacked the appropriate male lead and, opposed to popular opinion, she did not keep a male vocalist held captive in her closet to pull out on such occasions. Rachel decided to sing "Love is a Battlefield" instead. Halfway through the third run, her phone went off.

**Noah: Superstar, our house tonight?**

Rachel's lips quirked up at the use of her nickname, but then she frowned when she realized she wasn't entirely sure if she was allowed out or not. She tapped her fingers on the desk, weighing the pros and cons of asking her fathers. Deciding she didn't want to push her luck, she headed downstairs to the living room where her fathers were curled up watching television.

She cleared her throat, "Dad, Daddy."

The men exchanged a glance and muted the TV before turning to face her.

"Rachel."

She clasped her hands demurely in front of her, "Am I grounded?"

Hiram sighed, "No. We decided it wasn't necessary. Why? What exactly are you thinking of doing?"

"Noah asked me to meet him at our usual rendezvous point tonight and I wanted to make certain I wasn't grounded before I answered his query."

He crossed his arms, "Rachel, I'm not sure that's a good idea. Do you know how many calls the police station had to field because of your appearance? If your daddy's boss hadn't already known about the situation we could have been in some serious trouble. If you end up looking like chopped liver again, he might not be so understanding."

Rachel gaped, "Daddy! I can't believe you told on me!"

Elias rolled his eyes, "I didn't. I was going to tell Mark that you had an accident on your midnight run when he came up and thanked me for raising such spectacular fighter."

"What?"

"Apparently, his son decided he wanted to give the fight club a try. He was all determined he could make a career of it. Then some small Jewish girl had him down on the ground and crying in five minutes. He's decided to go back to college. Mark told me to tell you thank you."

Her daddy looked proud and amused. Her dad looked disgruntled.

Rachel cleared her throat, "I'm glad I could be of service. Dad, you said I wasn't grounded. I was allowed to go see Noah before so I should be allowed to go see him now."

Hiram scowled and Elias made sure he had eye contact with her. "Full disclosure."

She nodded, "We're going to meet in our tree house over at the old park sometime around midnight. That's all that I know. Usually we sit there for a couple of hours and then I come home."

Her fathers looked at each other. They were having one of those silent conversations that Rachel couldn't wait to have with her future partner. They turned back to her and Hiram looked at her intently. "No fights. If you come home looking like a mess, I'm going to call your Aunt Susan and offer up your services as unpaid labor for the rest of the summer, understand?"

Rachel's eyes widened and she nodded quickly. "Are there any more stipulations?"

He raised an eyebrow, "Do I need to make anymore stipulations?"

"No, sir."

Rachel quickly typed a response to Noah.

**Rachel: I'll be there.**

The night was cool and cloudy and Rachel almost wished she had worn a light jacket as she jogged over to the park. It hurt the climb the tree and she wondered how Puck had managed. He was in his normal position when she got there so she went and took hers, looking out over the treetops and dangling her legs. He set something between them and she couldn't help the confused look on her face.

He cleared his throat. ""I'm sorry' cookies."

She studied his profile, noting that he looked worse than the first night they had talked. None of the bruises were fresh though and that comforted her. Rachel grabbed a cookie and bit into it. They were a little burnt.

"Oatmeal raisin. My favorite."

Puck turned to her, a half grin on his face, "I know."

She smiled back and nodded toward the plate, "Share in my bounty?"

He grabbed a cookie and held it up, "Cheers?"

Rachel clicked their cookies together, "Cheers."

Puck took a bite before he spoke, "Speaking of bounty, you left your prize money the other night."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Prize money? That wasn't a proper tournament if I won after only beating two people."

"Nah, tournaments are on the weekend. It was best fight, the crowd chose."

"Well, we were always pretty good at staging epic battles."

He nodded, "It's at my house, if you want it. There's about three hundred bucks there. I used some of it at the store. A shitload of painkillers and some Band-Aids and stuff."

"I'll think about it."

They ate several cookies in silence before Puck spoke softly, "I would have made these sooner, but I couldn't move."

Rachel chuckled, "I completely understand."

"Are your dads going to kill me?"

Rachel hummed, "Daddy isn't. Dad might want to, but I think you could take him."

Puck was silent for a moment. "We need to talk. For real. With lots of words."

"I know."

He ran a hand over his Mohawk and sighed. "I was going to bring a 12 pack of beer and tell you that we were going to drink and talk about emotional shit, because that's what bros do—"

"Bros?"

"Best bros. But I think I owe it to you to be sober."

Rachel put her hand on his leg. "You deserve it just as much as I do."

He grunted, "I don't really deserve much of anything anymore, but that's not what we're talking about first."

"First?"

"You'd be proud of me. I made a mental list."

"I am. What's first?"

"Us."

Rachel nodded slowly.

"I was just a stupid little kid, you know? Some of the guys started teasing me because my best friend was a girl and—"

"Noah Puckerman, you had better not finish that sentence. We're being honest with each other, no matter how bad it is, and I swear to God if you say something about not being a sissy I'm going to push you out of this tree house."

He winced, "They did call me a sissy that one time."

Rachel nodded, "And then we put toads in their lunchboxes and they screamed like little girls. Remember when we took Rabbi Zavid's tefillin and snuck into the Baptist church next door and put it on their statue of Jesus?"

Puck smirked, "Our ears were red for a week by the time Mom stopped twisting them."

"Exactly. Remember in the 2nd grade when we had an epic Styrofoam sword battle in order to determine who got to dress up as the Green Ranger for Halloween?"

"I still say you cheated."

"I did not. I won fair and square."

"Whatever, I decided that the Red Ranger was better anyway."

"Because you lost."

"No, because Red was the leader and he had a freakin Tyrannosaurus!"

"The Green Ranger had a dragon, which he called by playing his dagger like a flute!"

"Dragons aren't real."

"Megazords aren't real. Besides, he got the Pink Ranger."

"Red Ranger had her first."

Rachel scowled, "My point is that nothing we ever did was even remotely lame, so I don't want to hear some cheap cop out about how I was too girly to be your friend anymore."

Puck looked down, "This is hard."

Rachel just looked at him.

His voice was quiet. "I didn't protect you."

"What?"

"Remember when they snuck up behind you and locked you in that closet?"

Rachel shivered, "Of course. It was so small and there were a lot of cleaning supplies. I didn't even have room to hit at the door and I ended up having a panic attack. I was stuck there for three hours. Dad says I'm lucky I don't suffer from claustrophobia."

Puck sighed, "I was supposed to be with you."

"Mrs. Young held you back because she caught us passing notes and you took the fall."

"I thought I heard you. When I walked past the closet. It was like I knew something wasn't right. Even when you weren't in music class, I didn't mention anything because I thought I was imagining things. When they found you in there, I felt so bad. And when I saw you—"

"Noah, it wasn't your fault."

"I felt like it was. I felt like I'd abandoned you. We were supposed to have each other's backs and I failed. I was so angry and sad. I felt like my dad."

Rachel grabbed his hand and squeezed it tight.

He squeezed back, "I didn't want you to be around me, if I was like him. I didn't deserve a friend like you, if I was like him. So I backed off. I figured you were better off without me."

"That's ridiculous," Rachel whispered.

"I kinda know that now, but not then. And now, I really am like him."

Rachel used her free hand to slap his arm, "Noah Puckerman, don't you ever compare yourself to that man."

"Why not? I abandoned you. I abandoned my kid."

"Well I got you to come back, didn't I? And you did not abandon Beth. Everyone knows you wanted to keep her and that you were willing to do whatever it took to raise her and do what was best for her. In this case, it was best for you to let someone else have her in their lives. You are the second bravest person I know for giving up a piece of yourself and a chance to be her father, so she would have a good life."

Puck raised an eyebrow, "Second bravest?"

Rachel nodded. "Quinn is the first."

Puck nodded and then grimaced. "I didn't treat her well."

Rachel sighed, "I think it took you a while to remember how to treat someone well."

There was a pause. They both looked back out at the trees.

"I told her I loved her."

"I heard." Rachel's stomach twisted.

"I meant it."

"I know you did."

"She's my baby mama, it's impossible not to love her."

"Hordes of guests on daytime talk shows would disagree with you."

He snorted.

Rachel bit her lip. "You're not in love with her though."

She felt his gaze on her, so she turned to meet hit. His eyes were sad and they looked wet, but there was glimmer of calmness in them too.

He raised an eyebrow, "How would you know?"

"I know you. No matter how long we're apart, I know you."

He nodded. "She's beautiful, and I wouldn't mind tapping that again, but she's just not enough for me."

Rachel sighed, "I don't understand why you pursued her. I mean, I do, because she is extremely gorgeous, but Finn was your friend and you preyed on her when she was vulnerable. That wasn't okay."

He ducked his head, "I know. Finn's never been my bro like you are, and people just think he's so perfect. Like he deserves everything. I deserve good things too, and she was a good girl. He wasn't good enough for her and I wanted to be, even for a little bit."

"Noah, you are good enough, and some day you're going to find a great woman who makes your palms sweat and your heart race. You deserve it… despite the fact that you're kind of a whore."

Puck snorted and Rachel smiled and bumped her shoulder against his. "Honestly, Noah, even though you've messed up a little bit—" Puck raised his eyebrow "Okay a lot, you're still one of the best guys I've ever met."

"I think you're a little crazy."

"My sanity has no bearing on your character."

"I have character?"

"You do. You really do."

Puck sighed, "I feel like half a person. I wasn't good enough to be a dad to B-Beth. I think about her everyday. I don't ever want to forget her."

"So don't. Think about her every day. I think part of the pain you feel is your disappointment of not being able to take care of her. Make yourself better. Work each day to become the Noah who is good enough to be her father, the person she would be proud of if she knew him. Maybe then most of the pain will go away because if you ever get that opportunity again, to be a part of her life, you'll be able to take it."

"You really think so?"

"I do."

"You have more faith in me than I do right now."

"I've always been the more emotionally capable of the two of us."

Puck chuckled, "If by emotionally capable you mean capable of crying on demand."

Rachel huffed, "You weren't complaining when my tears convinced that security guard to let us go for 'accidentally' setting off that fire extinguisher."

He smiled, "We always made a good team."

"I know. We can be a good team now."

He nodded, "So you think football's going to help me be better."

Rachel paused. "Only you can make you better, but I do think it will help. It's a feasible emotional and physical outlet, and it's something you enjoy. I know I'm not an expert, but I think you're pretty good. I think you could be good enough for a scholarship, even if it's just a small school. I don't know what you're planning to do, but it's always nice to have college as an option."

Puck looked earnestly at her, "Babe, I don't want you to be pissed, but I'm just going to say this, okay? I want you to help me, but if you learning football has anything to do with Finn, I'm not okay with it. I know he used to bitch about it a lot and—"

Rachel sighed, "No, Noah, though I understand why you ask. We broke up weeks ago and I really don't care to see him again this summer or ever pursue a personal relationship with him again."

"Good. He wasn't good enough for you either. What did that jack ass do?"

Rachel shook her head, amused at Puck's reaction. "He broke up with me because he couldn't handle dating the daughter of two homosexuals."

"That's stupid, but so is Finn."

Rachel shrugged, "It made me realize what kind of person he really is and I don't need someone like that in my life, even as a friend."

"I can kick his ass."

Rachel flicked his ear, "We're taking a break from that, remember?"

Puck smirked, "Sure thing, Superstar. Like I said, I'm glad you got rid of him. It's not like he's really what you want anyway."

"And now it seems like you're propositioning me again."

"Always, Berry, but never seriously."

"Good to know, Puckerman. Besides, how do you know what I want anyway?"

Puck's face turned serious and he seemed to be searching her face for something. "We're being brutally honest with each other, right? Getting our heads on straight? Jew to Jew, Bro to Bro, Puckasaurus to Superstar?"

"Of course."

"Well, let's just say I'm pretty sure you want someone a little heavier on top and a little lighter on the bottom than Finn is capable of being."

Rachel's face crinkled in confusion, "Do you mean with smaller feet and a bigger brain?"

Laughter bubbled out of Puck, "Well, I guess that would technically be true, but I was thinking more boobs and less penis."

"What?"

"Babe, I'm pretty sure you're a lesbian."

Rachel's mouth opened and closed but she couldn't get any sound to come out.

Puck smirked and patted her on the back, "It's okay to be gay, Rach."

She snapped out of her stupor, "That's not funny, Noah. I've dated nothing but boys."

"I'm not kidding. And you've only dated three boys in high school. I don't count because we're bros, Jesse was a male version of you, and Finn was just a male lead."

"B-but—"

"Stop and think about it."

Rachel glared at him.

He ran his fingers through his Mohawk, "Okay, remember when we used to play house?"

"Of course."

"Remember how we decided we didn't want to follow the heteronormative standard, but we didn't want to be gay like your dads so we decided to be a lesbians, because we both like girls?"

"We were five!"

"Earlier you admitted to wanting to be the Green Ranger because he got the girl."

"Because he was successful!"

"First grade, you had a crush on Ms. Wing."

"I admired her."

"You always wanted to hold her hand."

"So did you!"

"Exactly! And in third grade we had another epic Styrofoam sword battle over who got to give Tina the Valentine's card we begged off of the cashier at the drug store."

"We signed both of our names, as friends."

"Because your dad got pissed we broke his vase and he wouldn't let us finish our fight."

Rachel crossed her arms over her chest.

Puck rolled his eyes, "What about the first half of kindergarten, before Santana came? Brittany told us she liked us so we decided you would be her girlfriend and I would be her boyfriend and we took turns carrying her backpack and kissing her on the cheek."

Rachel blushed. "I forgot about that."

She turned to stare out at the trees. She thought back over her childhood. She had been enamored with Brittany until Santana came along. She had always paid for more attention to other girls than she did boys. She had noticed she wasn't like all the other girls when puberty hit and she had asked her aunt if it was normal. Her aunt had said yes, but now that she thought about it, her aunt would say yes considering the fact that her aunt was most definitely homosexual.

Rachel groaned out loud and buried her face in her hands. How could she be so oblivious?

Puck chuckled and threw an arm around her shoulders, "Say it with me Superstar, 'I'm a lesbian.'"

Rachel sighed before sitting up straight and looking him in the eyes, "I'm a lesbian." It felt right.

He ruffled her hair and cooed, "I'm so proud of you."

She slapped his hands away, "Jerk."

He placed a hand over his heart, "I'm hurt! Seriously, though, don't you feel better knowing?"

Rachel nodded, "I should have realized it sooner."

"You should have, but, hey, at least we know you're a spectacular actress. Hell, you had yourself fooled."

Rachel rolled her eyes. Apparently, she wasn't as honest with herself as she thought. Really, how did she not know? She bet her parents knew; that's why they had looked so startled when she had come home talking about Finn. They had been standoffish about her relationship with Jesse, especially after they found out about Shelby. The strange glances whenever she talked about girls at school or in Glee club? Knowing glances. They did know. The weird glance when she hadn't mentioned texting Quinn… Rachel's breath caught. Quinn. The strange need to be her friend, the way her heart sped up and her hands got sweaty and the grocery store: she was in love with Quinn. Her stomach twisted.

She swallowed thickly, "Noah, I think I've broken some kind of friendship code."

He nudged her, "Because you're in love with Quinn?"

Rachel's head snapped up. He had a soft smile on his face. Her eyes burned and she nodded.

"It's okay."

"How did you know?"

"It's like you said, I know you. No matter how long we've been apart, I will always know you."

Rachel put her arm around his waist and leaned against him. He squeezed her shoulders. They sat like that until it started to rain and they scooted back and pulled their legs in.

Rachel wiped her eyes. "We should probably get going."

"Probably."

She chuckled, "Is it sad that I'm not sure if my body can take going back down the ladder?"

Puck laughed, "If it is then we're both a little sad."

"Let's stay here."

"Okay."

They curled up next to each other on the floor, listening to the raindrops splattering against the leaves. They were both drifting to sleep when Rachel spoke,

"Hey Puckasaurus?"

"Yeah Superstar?"

"The next time we have to talk about all of this emotional shit, we'd better both be drunk."

"Deal."


	6. Chapter 6

Rachel woke up aware of two things: she couldn't feel her right arm and she was spooning Puck. She didn't know it was possible that she could spoon someone so much bigger than herself, but she seemed to be doing a pretty good job of it. It was kind of comfortable, except for the fact that Puck was laying on top of her arm and she was afraid it might be turning blue.

She groaned and shook his shoulder. "Noah…Noah…Get up!"

Puck grumbled but didn't move. Rachel reached up with her free hand, grabbed a fistful of Mohawk, and pulled. He yelped and rolled quickly away from her. Rachel hissed as the blood flow resumed in her arm.

"What the hell?"

"Pins and needles! Pins and needles!"

Puck eyed her clutching her arm and smirked, "What's that? You can't move your arm? Want me to help?"

Rachel growled, "Noah Puckerman, if you touch my arm I will end you."

"I thought we were taking a break from that," he teased, "Besides, you're the one how messed with the hawk."

"What other choice did I have? I would have hated for you to have my amputated arm on you conscience. Your immense girth was cutting off the circulation and any longer and I'm not sure it would have come back."

Puck raised an eyebrow, "Did you just call me fat?"

"Maybe."

He rolled his eyes and then yawned, "What time is it anyway?"

Rachel used her functioning hand to pull out her phone. "7:30. Oh God, I forgot to text Dad and Daddy to tell them that I was spending the night. They're going to make me work for my aunt all summer. It's going to be miserable."

"I thought you liked your aunt? Isn't she the one who convinced you dad to let you do capoeira?"

"Yes. She told him it was an advanced dance class. I think he's still angry at her and Daddy for that. I do enjoy our time together, but she's an unrepentant taskmaster. Daddy may have taught me to win, but she taught me how to be ruthlessly determined and fight my way to the top."

"How come I've never met her, even when we were kids?"

Rachel hummed and flexed her arm, relieved when everything seemed to be back to normal. "She's not a people person."

Puck shrugged and Rachel pushed herself up and stood slowly. She felt her bones creak and pop.

Puck groaned when he stood up, "Next time we bring pillows."

Rachel nodded and then paused when something caught her eye. "Noah, what's that by the door?"

Puck frowned and Rachel watched as he walked cautiously over to the doorway of their tree house. There was a large rock on top of a piece of paper. He didn't touch the rock, just jerked the paper from underneath as if he was afraid to spring a trap. He stepped back from the doorway and squinted at the paper, his face becoming steadily more pensive. Rachel frowned. Obviously it was a note of some kind. Who was it from? Had some hobo come to seek shelter in their tree fort and, upon discovering it was already occupied, issue a challenge? Did someone they know find them? Puck handed it to Rachel and she read.

_Dear Rachel (and Noah),_

_I came to find you when it started raining and your dad started having a conniption. You were already asleep when I arrived. I assume you were exhausted, considering you had managed to actually fall asleep on the hard wooden floor. I'm going to assume this same exhaustion caused you to forget to text me with your changed plans. I told your dad you were safe and you were spending the night with Noah. He is expecting you both for breakfast at 8. Don't push your luck._

_Love,_

_Daddy_

Relief flooded Rachel and then she panicked.

"We have to go! We're going to be late! It's going to take a while to walk there and I don't think we are in any condition to run!"

"We can take me truck. I parked it on the other side of the trees."

Once they were actually in the truck, Rachel relaxed considerably. She looked over at Puck curiously, "Why do you look so nervous?"

Puck shifted gears and sighed, "I don't know, maybe because I've been an asshole and your dad probably wants to kill me."

"They both love you, you know."

"I know, which makes it worse. You dad knows how to cut someone's heart out of their chest."

"So we'll keep him away from the sharp knives."

"You'd better. The butter knives too."

Rachel rolled her eyes and grabbed her phone.

**Rachel: Good morning, Quinn. I hope you slept well. I'm going to have breakfast with my dad and an old friend. Have a successful day.**

"Who are you texting?"

Rachel fought the blush rising in her cheeks as she glanced at Puck. "Quinn."

He raised an eyebrow, "I didn't know you two texted each other."

"We don't. I text her."

She felt his questioning glance and she sighed. "Eyes on the road, Noah. I convinced her to allow me two texts a day."

"Allow?"

Rachel shrugged, "She wasn't ready to work on our issues, as she put them, but I convinced her to let me keep in contact with her."

"That's kind of a bitch thing to do."

Rachel hummed, "I'm fine with telling her good night and good morning until she's ready to talk."

Puck laughed, "So you've been texting her good morning all summer and you didn't realize you were in love with her how exactly?

Rachel smacked his arm, "Shush."

"So how's charming her pants off working for you?"

"I am not trying to charm her pants off! Dad assumed the same thing. I'm just trying to be a constant in her life and I think it's working a little bit. The day after our fight we met in the grocery store and she looked genuinely concerned for me. She didn't call me names and she implied that she was reading my texts and that she wished they were longer."

Puck shook his head. "You were better at wooing girls when we were younger."

Rachel smacked his arm again, "Shut it, Puckerman."

Breakfast went surprisingly well. While Hiram did lecture them about the health hazards of sleeping in an eight year old tree house during a rainstorm, he didn't cut Puck's heart out or send Rachel to work with her aunt. Rachel decided to keep her revelation about her sexuality to herself. She was feeling a little vindictive—they could have saved her so much trouble if they would have told her what they knew in the first place. As far as Rachel was concerned, they could suffer. Self discovery, in Rachel's opinion, wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

After breakfast, Rachel decided to forgo Glee practice (she was tired of picking through their Journey medley again) so that she and Puck could finalize a plan of attack. It was getting closer to the end of June and they needed to start practicing if Noah was going to get ready for the fall season. They compared schedules and decided that they could start after lunch and work until dinnertime, except on the days when Rachel had capoeira. Puck would be in charge of gathering supplies and Rachel had to compile a list of possible exercises. They determined they would forgo actual practice today because they were both a little stiff, but decided to meet at 3 pm in order to finalize their plans. Before he left, Puck told her that if she showed up with matching kitten calendars he wouldn't let her in his house.

She showed up with dinosaurs and Puck's mother let her in, hugging her like she hadn't seen her in years. She showed Rachel to Puck's room and then came back with peanut butter crackers and juice boxes, kissing them both on the forehead. Rachel had kind of wanted to cry, but they had a job to do, and Rachel had always been slightly uncomfortable with happy tears.

Puck approved of her plan to start out with a brisk jog in order to loosen the muscles and improve stamina. He also approved of her suggestion for stretching and using free weights to increase muscle mass. He did not approve of doing nothing but running drills.

"You're going to have to learn how to throw. I'm a receiver and I need to practice catching. I need to practice defense too, but we can't do tackling. We can do two hand touch or something."

Rachel nodded warily. Though she had told Puck she would learn to play in order to help him, she was unsure if she could learn enough to be a real asset to him. She knew she was pretty spectacular, but even she had her limitations, like bowling or cheerleading, and football could be something she was incapable of doing.

When she left Puck's mom, Rebecca, gave her another bone crushing hug and told her to come back soon. That night, Rachel texted Quinn.

**Rachel: Today was a successful day. My friend and I have decided to break the monotony of summer by playing football. Wish me luck. Have beautiful dreams.**

The first practice was disastrous. Puck was strong but he wasn't as in shape as they thought he was. Rachel couldn't throw a football to save her life. The crude obstacle course they set up in the old park to test Puck's agility turned out to be a little more dangerous than they anticipated.

The second wasn't much better. Rachel still couldn't throw, Puck was still a little out of shape, and the course was still dangerous. Even more so when Rachel ran after him to simulate a defender. She was fast, too fast, and she ended up dodging a board and tripping over her feet and crashing into him. They both had scraped knees and elbows. Her dad was gracious enough, for once, and didn't say anything as he bandaged them up.

Things went a little better the third practice and Rachel's throwing had improved (barely) but she was still disappointed with herself. She told her parents so at dinner.

"It's going to take time, pumpkin," Hiram told her.

"I know. I just wish I could do better with the throwing. Noah knows how to throw, but he's no quarterback and he doesn't know enough to teach me properly."

Elias quirked his eyebrow, "You know, Rachel, you have a perfectly good quarterback at your disposal."

Rachel gasped, "If you're suggesting I ask Finn—"

"I meant me. I was the quarterback for my high school team."

"I didn't know that."

"Well, I was and I'd be happy to teach you what I know."

Rachel beamed, "Thank you so much, Daddy!"

After dinner Elias found an old football in the attic and they went out in the backyard to play catch. He showed her how to properly hold the football, fingers between the laces, and how to stand solidly. He taught her to catch too, to pull the ball into her body and cradle it like a baby. Her dad had teasingly called out that when she was first born he had to tell her daddy to cradle her like a football so he knew what to do. Somehow, with her daddy's patient voice telling he what to do and his strong hands showing her how to move she learned much faster. But the end of the night, she was able to throw the ball wherever she wanted.

Noah was pretty impressed and a little bit relieved. Rachel could tell. Things started going a lot better. Seven practices in and Rachel was thoroughly enjoying herself and Puck seemed happier. Genuine laughs and full blown smiles. The sadness was, of course, still there but Puck still hadn't gone back to the fight club. Things went smoothly until their 10th practice when they showed up at the park only to find it occupied with a bulldozer and a construction crew. They exchanged heated words with the foreman and Puck had to drag Rachel away. After a brief discussion, they decided to relocate to the new park.

Rachel wasn't very excited about going to the new park. Though it would have more space for them to work with, it would not afford them the same privacy. She was sure part of the reason their practices were going so well, despite their peculiar methods, was because it was easier for them to look and act ridiculous when it was just them. No one questioned their motives or judged them. They were just Rachel and Noah playing football. At the big park, they might see someone they knew. Rachel wasn't ashamed of her friendship with Noah, but she really didn't feel like answering questions about it. Frankly, it was no one else's business.

Their first practice at the new park went well. They did get a few weird looks, especially when they were setting up their obstacle course, but nobody bothered them. With so much more space to run, they discovered that Rachel was an excellent runner. If Puck gave her enough room, she could blow past him and she was extremely agile. When he had the ball he had to twist and cut so Rachel couldn't open up enough to catch him. The longer they practiced, the better they got, and the easier it became for Rachel to get him.

"That doesn't really count," Puck gasped, bent over with his hands on his knees.

Rachel's chest was heaving and she stood with her hands on her hips, her head tilted towards the sky. "Why not? My two hands touched you."

"If we were really playing, you'd have to tackle me, and we both know you hit like a girl."

"We can't tackle. We don't have any padding."

Puck nodded, "I was just saying."

He kept "just saying" and it started to irk Rachel that he wasn't admitting to her superior skills. So, during their 8th practice at the new park, Rachel snapped. She didn't even mean to do it. Puck zagged right and, instead of zagging with him, Rachel lunged. Their bodies collided painfully and they had enough momentum that when they hit the ground they slid for a couple of feet.

"Holy shit, Superstar, are you trying to kill me?" Puck groaned.

"I got you."

She sat up slowly and he followed suit. Rachel was pretty sure her elbow was bleeding but she couldn't tell through the grass plastered against her. Her knee was angry looking.

Puck looked at her, "What did you say?"

"I got you. You said I didn't really get you until I tackled you."

Puck shook his head and grinned, "You're crazy."

"My sanity has nothing to do with the fact that I successfully tackled you."

"I forgot how competitive you are."

Rachel hummed and they sat in silence for a few moments categorizing their injuries.

She turned toward him with a cocky smile, "That was fun."

He smirked, "I know, right? I wish we had equipment."

Rachel nodded furiously and then winced a little.

"First aid?"

"First aid."

Puck got up and offered Rachel his hand and pulling her up too.

They were about to Puck's truck when a voice made them stop in their tracks.

"Berry? Puckerman? What the hell?"

Rachel's heart started thundering in her chest. She turned around and saw Quinn looking at her. Worry, anger, and confusion flashed across those hazel eyes and Rachel tried to remember to how to swallow. Quinn had obviously come to the park to go for a run because she was wearing running shoes, short shorts, and a tank top. Rachel tried not to stare because now that she understood why her body went haywire whenever Quinn was near, and now that she understood how she felt for Quinn, it was hard not to really look at her.

She was so busy not looking that she hadn't noticed Quinn stomping over until Puck nudged her. He looked a little bit sad, but mostly just terrified.

Quinn stopped in front of them her hands firmly on her hips. She glowered at Puck and only slightly less at Rachel.

"What happened?" She nodded toward Rachel.

The brunette smiled weakly. "Hello, Quinn. We've got to stop meeting like this."

Quinn was not amused. Rachel could tell by the way her eyebrow twitched.

"You're bleeding."

"Oh, yes, so I am. Noah and I were playing football and I tackled him. We connected with the ground a little harder than I anticipated."

Quinn's face wrinkled in confusion, "You were playing football, with Puck?"

Rachel nodded. Quinn seemed to be thinking about something. Rachel and Puck shared a nervous glance. Suddenly the blonde's eyes widened and she turned a level 10 glare towards Rachel.

"Puck's the old friend you've been spending all of this time with?"

Rachel almost took a step back. Instead she swallowed and licked her lips. "Yes?"

Quinn took a step forward and Rachel felt Puck take a step backwards.

"What did I tell you about pertinent information?"

"I told you what I was doing, not that it's necessarily any of your business."

"You should have told me you were doing it with him!"

"I didn't think you would care," Rachel's stomach twisted a little and she bit her lip, "Unless you still have feelings for him. I assure you, the relationship we have is purely platonic."

Quinn growled, "I do not have feelings for him. And since when have you ever spent time with a boy when you weren't trying to trick him into dating you?"

Rachel felt like Quinn had punched her in the gut and she couldn't help the gasp that escaped her.

Puck stepped forward again. "That wasn't cool, Fabray. Rachel and I are bros. We've been friends a lot longer than you've been around."

If anything, that made Quinn angrier. "Get out of my personal space, Puckerman."

Rachel felt Puck tense beside her and she spoke softly, drawing Quinn's attention back to her.

"I apologize if my friendship with Noah offends you, but we really have been friends for a long time. Despite our brief romance, it really is gross to think about dating him."

Quinn's gaze seemed to soften a little bit but she still wasn't pleased. Rachel wanted to reach out and smooth her frown away. Her hand twitched and Quinn's gaze followed the movement. Her frown intensified.

"You're bleeding, Rachel."

Rachel looked down to find a line of blood from her elbow to her wrist.

"Oh."

Puck cleared his throat, "We were on our way to my truck for the first aid kit."

Quinn nodded, "Let's go then."

Rachel was surprised when Quinn followed them to the truck and even more surprised when, after Puck popped open the tailgate and Rachel hopped onto it, that Quinn glared at Puck, grabbed the first aid kit and slapped Rachel's hands away when she tried to get out some supplies. Rachel shivered when Quinn lightly grabbed her wrist and began wiping away the blood and grass.

"This is going to hurt a little bit, but you deserve it for being stupid enough to play tackle football with a varsity player."

Rachel huffed, "He's hurt just as bad as I am. Besides, we weren't really playing tackle football; it just kind of happened."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Berry."

Rachel was staring at Quinn's lips. She wasn't really aware of it until Puck coughed and she looked up to see him wink at her. She tried not to blush.

Quinn worked intently. Rachel was surprised at how tender she was. She could tell by her body language that she was still irritated. While she had said that she didn't like Puck, Rachel couldn't help but wonder if, maybe, she really did. She had been so scathing when she thought Rachel was going after him. Quinn finished her elbow and began on her knee. It wasn't bleeding but it was definitely scraped raw. Rachel hoped she didn't notice the way her breath caught when her fingers brushed against her skin.

"I thought I told you not to get injured again."

Rachel shrugged, "Technically, you told me not to make getting into fights a habit. Noah and I haven't fought since then so I think I've done as you directed."

Quinn got very still but Rachel didn't realize she'd said something wrong until she heard Puck swear and Quinn looked up from her knee. Her eyes were pure fire.

"What did you just say?"

Rachel snapped her mouth shut and shook her head.

"Did you just say 'since then' indicating that Puck was the one who had you walking around looking like the poster child for domestic abuse?"

Rachel glanced up at Puck. He started to back away slowly.

"Rachel," Quinn whispered.

"But I beat him up too."

Quinn snarled and spun around, lunging for Puck. She smacked him hard and grabbed his ear, yanking him down to her level.

"You…you…"

Rachel slid off the tailgate and put her hands on Quinn's shoulders, "Quinn."

She shook her head, her eyes never leaving Puck's. "If you ever touch her again I swear to God they will never find the body."

Puck hissed in pain, "Jesus, Fabray. I would never hit a woman out of anger. We were sparring. Rachel's a freakin ninja!"

"I don't care if she's goddamned Chuck Norris, if you touch her again I will break every bone in your body, including Puckerman Jr."

He gulped and nodded and Quinn released him. She spun back towards Rachel and Rachel stumbled backwards into the tailgate. Quinn had her trapped,

"And you, how dare you let him do that to you? I don't care how tough you think you are or what weird friendship you have. You're delicate, Rachel. He could snap you in half."

"Actually—"

Quinn leaned closer, "I don't want to hear it. Promise you won't do that again. Promise!"

Quinn's eyes were angry, concerned and desperate. She needed Rachel to promise her and so Rachel did.

"I promise, Quinn."

Quinn nodded once and took a step backwards so she could look between the two of them. She jabbed her finger at them. "If I see one scratch on you and I find out that it was because the two of you were fighting or playing football or doing something stupid, it's not going to be pretty."

They nodded and she took a breath before walking quickly away from them. When she got back to the park, she broke into a jog as if she had never been interrupted. Rachel stared at her until she disappeared and then she shook her head lightly as if to clear it. It didn't work and she turned towards Puck who was still staring at the spot Quinn had disappeared from.

Rachel cleared her throat. "What just happened?

Puck blinked, "Other than the fact that I just got bitch slapped by my baby mama, I have no idea."

Rachel nodded and they stood there for a couple beats longer.

"I think we're going to have to find a new place to practice."

He nodded, "And we're going to need protection."


	7. Chapter 7

Rachel decided it was best they take two days off to gather information and Puck agreed. They had to do three things: 1. Find a new location 2. Find better supplies 3. Figure out what to do with Quinn. The third one was mostly for Rachel. She liked that Quinn seemed to care for her. Then again, maybe Quinn would stand up for anyone she perceived to be in an abusive relationship. But, Quinn had almost seemed… jealous? Stepping between Rachel and Puck, taking care of Rachel so Puck wouldn't touch her, getting angry when she found out Rachel was spending so much time with him… Rachel could only come to the logical conclusion that Quinn still had feelings for Puck. The illogical part of her may have said that Quinn seemed jealous of Puck and not Rachel, but the brunette ignored it. Really, it didn't matter whom Quinn was jealous of because she had made it perfectly clear that if Rachel were injured again, bad things would happen. Rachel knew that even if they were covered head to toe in protective padding, chances were something was going to happen and Quinn could not find out. So, they needed to avoid serious injuries and they needed a secure place to train.

Rachel and Elias looked in the attic for his old football gear, but they came up empty handed. She had to hope that Puck had some stuff laying around that she could borrow. She focused on finding a place to train. The problem was that there weren't any more parks in Lima. There weren't even any wide, open grassy areas. Sure they could still jog and work with weights, but that was it. Rachel was fairly certain that if Quinn even caught them playing catch she would kill one or both of them. The only other place Rachel could think of was the football field at McKinley and she held no grand delusions that it would be available to them.

When the two days were up, Rachel arrived at Puck's house more than a little frustrated. His mom was there again and once again she deposited Rachel in Noah's room with a kiss, peanut butter crackers, and some juice boxes. Rachel noted that Puck didn't look any happier than she did.

He spoke first. "I checked the sports shops, thrift stores, I even stopped at some old lady's yard sale. No good equipment anywhere, unless we wanted to shell out a shitload of cash."

Rachel frowned, "Even if we had the pads it wouldn't matter. I couldn't find any place at all, unless we wanted to rent the roller rink and drug the attendants so they won't realize what we're using it for."

Puck chuckled, "If the floors weren't so hard I would totally go for that plan. We could lower the disco ball."

She smiled and then bit her lip, "The only other place I could think of was McKinley, but I don't think that's really any option."

Puck nodded, "I thought of that too. I could totally pick the lock to the storage shed and we could use all of that equipment. Coach Sylvester has that place on lockdown all summer though. Coach Tanaka wanted us to use it for a football camp and she made him cry. I hear she doesn't even let Figgins in all summer. Teachers can't go to their classrooms until a week before school starts."

Rachel hummed and fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, "This sucks."

"No shit. Damn baby mama."

"I know. I mean it's nice to know she cares for my well being but that was a little ridiculous."

Puck grunted and then turned toward her, a thoughtful look on his face, "You know, I've been thinking about it and it's kind of like she's your girlfriend already."

Rachel's eyebrows rose to her hairline, "Excuse me?"

"Seriously, think about it. You text her like clockwork everyday, you apparently have to tell her what you're doing and who you're with or she bitches about it, she's insanely protective of you and she thinks she can tell you what to do. If that's not how a girlfriend acts, then my name isn't Noah Puckerman."

Rachel slapped his arm, "Don't be an ass, Noah. A real relationship isn't anything like that."

"I'm just saying."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Well don't. I can barely hope to be her friend, let alone anything more."

He bumped her shoulder, "Maybe."

She shrugged.

Puck sighed and then frowned. His eyes were the saddest Rachel had seen them in awhile.

"Rach, we've got to think of something. I still need this. We're two reasonably smart and good looking Jews, remember? Superstar and Puckasaurus, we can do anything right?"

Rachel swallowed thickly. His eyes were shiny.

She licked her lips, "I might have an idea."

His brow furrowed, "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

"It's mostly nothing. My aunt, she…she has connections. It's possible that she might be able to do something for us."

"What?"

Rachel sighed, "I don't know. But it's worth it to try. I'll go talk to her."

Puck nodded and they ate their snacks in silence.

When her father Elias was kicked out, he had no one. Most of his friends abandoned him and his family pretended he didn't exist. The only person who stood by him was the ruthless head cheerleader. She was a bitch to everyone and she had a wicked temper because she always had to protect her sister from people who made fun of her. She and Elias had become friends when he stood up to some of his teammates for her sister. When the head cheerleader found the star quarterback sleeping under the bleachers, she took him home with her. Somehow the three of them, the angry cheerleader, the gay quarterback, and the girl with down's syndrome, formed their own family. Elias had always told Rachel he was closer to them than he had ever been his blood family. They had lived together until he married Hiram.

Rachel's aunt was an absolute hard ass, which she blamed on a four year stint in the military. She went to almost all of Rachel's performances, supported Rachel in whatever choices she made, and always pushed her to do better. She taught Rachel to pride herself on self sufficiency, so Rachel didn't like to ask her for much. Especially since her aunt never went around things the normal way.

Rachel knocked on her aunt's door and was lead by the housekeeper to the study. They passed rows and rows of trophies and medals. When they stopped in front of the door, Rachel took a deep breath.

She knocked.

"Enter."

She stepped inside and the imposing figure at the desk raised an eyebrow.

"Rachel."

"Aunt Sue."

"I wasn't expecting you today."

"I'm afraid I'm here for business purposes."

"Sit."

Rachel sat and Sue motioned her to continue.

"I need to use the football field for three hours every day."

Sue pursed her lips and leaned back in her chair.

"I don't mind if this is about your evil twin, Puckerman, but if this has anything to do with Frankenteen…"

"I believe I have made it perfectly clear over our Sunday lunches that the only feelings I have for him are negative."

"I've heard the same song and dance before, sister."

"Well, as you, dad, and daddy were already well aware, but failed to inform me, I'm a lesbian."

She shrugged, "I told Hiram self discovery was a load of garbage, but he insisted we let you blossom into a little fairy princess all on your own."

Rachel rolled her eyes and huffed.

Sue tapped her fingers on the desk, "So the diabolical duo really is back together for good. This next year should prove to be interesting. So, did this lesbian epiphany include your lady crush on Fabray?"

Rachel blushed, "Yes."

"Are you sure don't want access to the football field so you and Puckerman can tunnel into the cheerios' locker room?"

"Of course not!"

"Hidden cameras?"

"No!"

Sue stared at her and Rachel forced herself not to squirm.

"Blackmail me."

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "Dad wouldn't approve."

Sue smirked, "He never does. You know the drill, short stack, if you want it you have to work for it. We'll see how well you've been listening to my lectures about espionage and dirty dealing."

Rachel squared her shoulders, "I'll tell everyone you used to have a stuffed bunny named Mrs. Sparklepants."

"No one would believe you."

"I'll release the video of you dressed up as Ursula singing Little Mermaid songs that you made me for my fifth birthday."

"Sue Sylvester is a YouTube sensation and a close friend of Olivia Newton John. If America sees that video they'll demand a live action Litte Mermaid from those yahoos at Disney and insist that one Sue Sylvester take the role. Then they'll change the story so that Ursula prevails and that ridiculous Triton and that wimpy prince end up chained at the bottom of the sea, and she gets the redhead's voice all to herself."

Rachel leaned back and smirked, "I'll tell Mr. Shuester that the real reason you hate him is because you have feelings for Miss Pillsbury and you hate that he got to her first."

Sue narrowed her eyes, "Vicious little viper, aren't we? Why would he believe such utter nonsense? Sue Sylvester doesn't have feelings."

"I learned from the best. Whether or not he thinks I'm being truthful, his false sense of decency will ensure he either warns your or Miss Pillsbury of the rumor. Possibly both."

She handed Rachel a set of keys, "The field will be free from 2 to 5."

"Thank you."

"Get out of my office. I'll see you at lunch on Sunday."

Puck gaped at her and then hugged her so tight her back popped when she showed him the keys. When he asked her how she had gotten them she just shrugged and said her aunt was a pretty scary person. He told her that her aunt had to be a god of some kind. Sometimes, Rachel really wondered.

They had a place to practice without prying eyes and they would have access to the pads and helmets. The only things they needed to provide were mouth guards, cleats, and football pants. Puck already had cleats and football pants. They dug around in the basement and were able to find some of Puck's old pants from middle school for Rachel. Rachel suggested they use their prize money from the fight to buy mouth guards and new cleats for both of them. His old ones were well worn and smelled like rotten cheese.

They decided to head to the sports store in the mall. Besides the park, it would be the first time all summer that they had actually gone somewhere together. Rachel was worried, but not for the same reasons she had been at the park. Her main concern was that it would somehow get back to Quinn that they were buying sports equipment. She tried not to focus on it and instead enjoy the fact that, for the first time in her teenage life, she was hanging out at the mall with a friend.

"Rach, come on."

"No, Noah."

"Please, they look so delicious. Buy me a pretzel, pretty please?" he pouted.

Rachel huffed and shoved him playfully, "I don't know why you need my permission."

"You've got the cash, which means you're my sugar mama for the night." He waggled his eyebrows.

She rolled her eyes but let him pull her over to the pretzel stand. She bought two.

Puck spoke around a mouthful of pretzel. "You're the best babe."

"Of course I—"

"Good Gaga, did I just hear our resident Neanderthal call our resident diva 'babe?'"

Puck frowned and Rachel sighed. She forced a smile on her face as they turned to greet the source of the voice.

"Kurt. How have you been?"

"S'up, Hummel."

One of Kurt's meticulously plucked eyebrows was raised and Rachel noted that he was almost vibrating with excitement. He was probably already formulating some sort of mass text.

He gestured between the two of them, "Trying to rehash another old romance, I see, Rachel. When did this happen? Who's next, Jesse"

Rachel and Puck exchanged a glance and Puck spoke.

"We've been friends since we were in diapers, Hummel. You're a few years too late for that gossip."

"Friends, hmm? Pretzel sharing? Calling each other babe? That's awfully friendly of you."

"Kurt, I assure you that Noah and I are nothing but the best of friends. Also, I never called Noah 'babe'." Rachel smiled and Puck glared.

"What are you two doing here then?"

"Hanging out. That's what bros do. You should go back to shopping for moisturizer or whatever the hell—"

"Kurt, what Noah's trying to say is that we really must be going."

She grabbed Noah's arm and pulled him away.

Puck growled, "Bitch."

"Noah Puckerman…"

"He is! That's why I threw him into dumpsters, because he's a whiny bitch, not because he's gay."

"People say the same things about me."

Puck through his arm around her shoulders and squeezed, "That's because they don't know you and they're jealous."

"if you say so."

"I do. You're better than all of them."

Rachel smiled softly, "We both are. We make a fine pair of Jews."

"I know, right?"

Rachel didn't know exactly what they were looking for so she let Puck lead them around. Their first stop was at the mouth guards. He grabbed a red one and told Rachel to pick a color. She pointed to a green one and he raised any eyebrow.

"I figured you'd pick a yellow one. Why green?"

"Because the Green Ranger is better than the Red Ranger."

"Berry…"

"I'm just saying," she mocked.

When they went toward the shoe section they were accosted by a sales person.

"Can I help you?"

Noah puffed out his chest, "Depends. Can you help us look for football cleats for her without acting all weird?"

The man hesitated a moment too long and Puck pushed past him, "We'll help ourselves."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "That almost sounded like something I would say. A little brusque,perhaps,  but I'll allow it."

"Anything for my bro. Now, if you were going to play on the football team you'd have to get school colors—"

"Just get me whatever you get, Noah. I trust your judgment. I wear a size 6. I'm going to peruse their martial arts supplies. Remember, get whatever you want, okay?"

"Sure thing, Superstar."

Rachel was eyeing a set of throwing stars when Puck called out to her. She turned to find him coming towards her with his arms full and his eyes sparkling.

"Hold these," he said, dumping a pile of long socks into her arms.

"Socks, Noah—"

"I'll explain in a minute. First, take a look at these babies." He opened one of the shoe boxes and pulled out a large cleat. It was black with a red star design.

Rachel hopped up and down, "Did you get me the same ones?"

Puck smirked, "Nope."

Rachel pouted.

"I got you these." The smaller cleat he showed her was almost identical except that it was bright red with a black star.

"They're beautiful, Noah. My very own ruby slippers."

Puck shook his head, "Check it out babe, they're like inverses of each other or some shit. Just like me and you. And look," he gestured to the pile of socks, "I got us socks the same way. Black socks with a red band for you and red socks with a black band for me. And I found some gloves, just plain black, but they got stars too."

Rachel couldn't help the amused smile that slid across her face, "And you complained about my matching calendars?"

Puck scowled.

They ended up getting the whole pile. Rachel grabbed the throwing stars too. While capoeira did not usually use such weapons, Rachel did know how to use them.

When Puck dropped her off the bumped fists and he drove away smiling. Rachel's fathers oohed and aahed over her purchases, though Hiram scowled at the throwing stars, and her daddy helped her prepare her mouth guard. She was making faces in her bathroom mirror and examining her green mouth when her phone beeped. Rachel frowned.

**Finn: y r u w/pck**

Rachel deleted the message and rolled her eyes. His text speak was atrocious. She silently cursed Kurt Hummel and wondered how many people he had told.

When her phone beeped again she eyed it warily. As she looked at the screen, her heart fluttered and her stomach dropped simultaneously. It was from Quinn.

**Quinn: Guess what I just heard from Kurt? Apparently you and Puck were at the mall sharing pretzels. What interested me the most, however, is that he followed you to the sports store. Why exactly would you need to go to a sports store?**

Rachel didn't know what to do. She hesitated.

**Rachel: Keeping my promise.**

**Quinn: Oh really?**

**Rachel: Yes. I promised you I wouldn't get injured so I was purchasing the proper safety equipment.**

Her reply didn't come immediately and Rachel couldn't help but fidget.

**Quinn: I meant what I said! No football! If I see one hair out of place I'm going to kill Puckerman!**

Rachel snorted indignantly.

**Rachel: Who are you to tell me what I can and cannot do? I appreciate your concern, Quinn, but I'll be fine. Besides, it's not like we really see each other anyway.**

**Quinn: Someone has to tell you what do to because apparently you want to get yourself killed! I'll stake out the park if I have to!**

**Rachel: I'm a tough girl, Quinn. Since when do you care if I killed myself? You didn't mind attacking my self esteem daily.**

**Quinn: Rachel…**

She wished she could take back the last sentences, but she was frustrated.

**Rachel: Besides, we're not going to the park anymore.**

**Quinn: Where are you going?**

**Rachel: I'm certainly not going to tell you. Quinn, we're just having fun. We're using protection.**

**Quinn: God, you just made it sound like you two were going to have sex.**

**Rachel: That's absolutely disgusting!**

**Quinn: My thoughts exactly. Now, about this practicing…**

She rolled her eyes.

**Rachel: Goodnight, Quinn.**

**Quinn: Berry, you don't get to end this conversation.**

She forced herself not to respond.

**Quinn: Rachel.**

Her fingers twitched so she wrapped her arms around her middle.

**Quinn: Dammit, Rachel! I'm going to figure out where you're going and when I do you're going to be in so much trouble. Sleep well tonight, because tomorrow there will be blood, mostly Puckerman's.**

Rachel read the last message over and over again. She wondered, did that count as a goodnight text?


	8. Chapter 8

Rachel woke up the next morning equal parts excited and worried. Excited because she and Puck were going to be able to really let go on the field. Worried because she'd never known Quinn to make an empty threat. Quinn's determination was one of the many qualities Rachel found attractive, but it meant that she would eventually find out where they were playing and Rachel didn't want to find out what would happen when she succeeded. She really didn't want Noah to die.

She was hesitant as she sent Quinn her good morning text. Quinn was probably still very angry with her.

**Rachel: Good morning, Quinn. I hope you slept well. I promise you that everything will be fine. Have a wonderful day.**

She was halfway through breakfast when her phone lit up.

**Quinn: I'll be watching you**

**Rachel: Quoting Police lyrics this early in the morning? Quinn, I didn't know you had it in you.**

**Quinn: Joke all you want, Berry, you and Puckerman are going down.**

Rachel didn't respond, just shook her head. Ten minutes later, she received another text.

**Puck: Baby mama is bat shit insane.**

Rachel frowned.

**Rachell: What did she do?**

**Puck: 20 texts. All threats.**

**Rachel: For someone without unlimited texts, she's sure sending a lot. I'm beginning to think she was lying.**

**Puck: You think? I'm afraid to look out of my window.**

**Rachel: Maybe you should just lay low until practice.**

**Puck: You don't really think she would kill me and hide my body, do you?**

Rachel hesitated.

**Rachel: Well, they did call her a young Sue Sylvester.**

**Puck: Not helping, Superstar. I'll pick you up at 1:30, okay? It'll give us time to shake her if she tails us.**

**Rachel: Good plan, I'll see you then.**

After breakfast, Rachel worked on Glee as per her usual schedule. It was almost the end of July and her sectionals list was complete and the regionals list was looking really strong. She was trying to balance her song choices between old and new, Broadway and everything else. By the time Rachel was ready to head to her ballet class, she was satisfied.

She drove herself to her class and couldn't help checking for Quinn in her rearview mirror. Of course, Quinn wasn't there and Rachel almost forgot about her. Then she walked out of the dance studio struggling with her gym bad and fumbling in her purse for her keys and Quinn's voice reached her ears.

"Need any help?

Rachel stopped and stared. A very smug looking Quinn Fabray was leaning against her car.

"Q-Quinn!" Rachel winced at the high pitch of her voice, "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

The blonde pushed herself off the car and sauntered over to Rachel. Rachel gulped as she stopped in front of her. Quinn leaned in.

"I think you know exactly why I'm here."

Rachel's throat went dry.

"Oh?"

"I'm here to help you make sure you don't get injured," she smirked.

Rachel got lost staring at Quinn' lips again. They quirked upward and Rachel blinked when her keys were dangled in front of her face.

"Oh," Rachel grabbed them, "Thank you."

Quinn's smile was dangerous. "I'll see you at home."

Rachel checked her rearview mirror the entire drive back to her house. She never caught sight of Quinn, but when she pulled into her driveway and got out of her car, Quinn was there. The blonde rolled down her passenger side window and leaned over. Rachel wasn't sure what to do, what she wanted her to do. Quinn's hazel eyes locked on to Rachel and she raised two fingers, pointed to her eyes, and then pointed to Rachel. Rachel waved awkwardly and Quinn drove off.

When Puck's truck pulled up in her driveway, Rachel sprinted outside, practically threw herself inside and told him to drive.

"She followed me to ballet class and back home Noah. I didn't even see her until it was too late."

"No shit?"

"None at all. She had this smirk on her face, Noah, like she was going to devour me."

"What kind of lesbian doesn't want a pretty girl to eat her?"

Rachel slowly turned toward him, "If I didn't have my seatbelt on I would wipe that smirk off of your face. You're mine on the field, Puckerman."

They parked three blocks away from the school because it would look suspicious to have a lone truck in the parking lot. They each carried a small duffel bag and wore their typical athletic clothes. They took turns glancing over their shoulders, but Quinn was nowhere in sight.

When they arrived, she and Puck just stood there looking at the field for a while. For some reason, it looked beautiful.

Puck held up his fist, "You're the best bro anyone could ever ask for."

Rachel bumped it, "Likewise."

They went to the storage shed and Puck explained the different pads to Rachel. He found them some old practice jerseys but had trouble finding shoulder pads that were small enough for her. They found a helmet that worked and Puck teased her about having a big head. They decided to just change in there and Puck told Rachel to keep her eyes to herself. Once they were properly attired, they turned to look at each other. Puck raised and eyebrow, Rachel nodded and they walked out onto the field.

Rachel thought that she had Puck had done a lot of awesome things together—fight club, Styrofoam sword fights, building the tree house—but playing fully dressed out on the field was the best of them all. The pads made moving feel different and the cleats gave her feet more purchase. There was a different sense of balance, but she was able to adjust quickly. It was also really nice to be able to use cones for their obstacle course as opposed to large rocks or various objects that always turned out to be far pointier than they looked. Near the end of practice, Puck was doing the obstacle course and Rachel was chasing him. He cut right and she tackled him. This time when they slid across the ground there was little to no pain and Rachel decided tackling was pretty awesome. She didn't move to get off him, just raised her arms in triumph and started singing, "I am the champion, my friend. I'll keep on fighting to the-"

Puck shoved her and started laughing.

They almost expected Quinn to be waiting for them when they were done. She wasn't and Rachel thought it was kind of anticlimactic.

She arrived home to find her daddy sitting at the kitchen table. He smiled at her.

"So, how was it?"

"It was so amazing, Daddy. I haven't had this much fun such my last capoeira tournament or Regionals. Actually both combined weren't quite this much fun. I completely understand why you were so enamored with it."

"I'm glad you appreciate my sport and that you're having fun. I'm proud of you for sticking by Noah."

Rachel smiled, "It's nothing, Daddy."

"I don't know. I think it's pretty brave of you to risk incurring the wrath of a certain blonde cheerleader in order to help him."

Rachel gasped, "How did—"

"She stopped by while you were gone. She was very interested in learning your whereabouts. I felt like I was in an interrogation room."

"You didn't tell her."

"Of course not," he leaned forward, "She seemed very invested in your well being."

Rachel sighed, "I know. It's so confusing."

"Why? Don't friends always worry about each other?"

"She's not my friend," Rachel paused, "At least I don't think she is. She didn't respond to any of my texts at all until yesterday and then it was only because she is determined that I'm not going to play football. It's insane!"

Elias reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "Some emotions make you do crazy things."

Puck texted her later to tell her that Quinn had showed up to his house too. She'd also left him a few more messages. Rachel approached the composition of her good night text with caution.

**Rachel: It's time for bed and I'm 100 % injury free. I hope you didn't spend all of your day trying to find us. Please sleep well.**

Quinn responded almost immediately.

**Quinn: You got lucky. And if you're concerned about me wasting my time, you should just quit or tell me where you're meeting.**

**Rachel: Good night, Quinn.**

**Quinn: Tomorrow, Rachel.**

The next couple of days fell into a similar pattern. Quinn was everywhere but was never around when they went to practice. Quinn was getting frustrated. The tones of her text messages were getting more sinister. The glint in her eyes when she watched Rachel leave the dance studio was more intense and, sometimes, Rachel thought Quinn was just going to knock her out and lock her in her trunk. She didn't, just watched her with burning eyes.

On the fourth day when Puck and Rachel arrived at McKinley there were cars in the parking lot. They moved cautiously. They were almost to the field when they saw the cheerleaders. They ducked under the bleachers just as Sue picked up her megaphone and started yelling. "Move it, you pathetic losers. One more lap before we call it quits. Maybe the next time you can all make it on time and we won't have to stay late to make up for your tardiness. Now, when is practice, ladies?"

A chorus of pained voices replied, "11:43 to 1:37."

"Exactly. Q, S, lead the lap."

Rachel and Puck exchanged a glance.

"Well, that explains why Quinn is never there to follow us."

Puck chuckled, "God, she'd throw a fit if she new exactly how close she was to finding us."

Rachel nodded, "Did you know that in most high schools summer practice isn't mandatory?"

"Tell that to Coach Sylvester."

"Do you think they'll leave soon?"

Puck shrugged. They squatted down as the cheerios ran by them. Rachel's heart was beating double time. A sweaty Quinn was second only to an angry Quinn on Rachel's scale of sexy. She shifted. Now she understood why Sue had asked her about the locker room.

Puck nudged her, "Damn, did you see Santana?"

"I wasn't really paying attention."

"Well you missed it. She totally got a boob job. They're at least a cup size bigger."

Rachel sniffed, "Well, I wasn't looking."

Puck smirked, "Only because you were too busy eye sexing Quinn."

"Noah Puckerman!"

"Relax, we're bros. We can talk about this shit."

Rachel glared at him a second before relenting, "Fine. I was. I fell prey to my baser instincts."

Puck rolled his eyes, "Babe, it's totally normal to check out hot chicks."

"I know. I just don't want to degrade them."

"So don't leer at them."

"Did you not just see Quinn? How is it possible not to leer at her?"

Puck patted her on the back, "Hey, since you're already kind of girlfriends, I think you're allowed to leer."

Rachel smacked his arm.

The cheerios closed up shop at 2:15 and Rachel and Puck waited an extra fifteen minutes after they left before they exited their hiding place and began their own practice.

Rachel ran through the course, zigging and zagging just out of Puck's reach. She hesitated a second too long and Puck clipped her and they fell down in a giant heap.

"That was luck," Rachel gasped, still on her stomach.

"You mean skill. Now who's the champion, Superstar?" He sat up grinning. Rachel rolled her eyes and pushed herself up onto her knees. Suddenly Puck scrambled away from her, his eyes wide.

"Noah?"

Rachel gasped when someone jerked her upwards and she found herself faced with a very pale Quinn Fabray. Quinn jerked her closer and Rachel stumbled, steadying herself by grabbing onto Quinn's waist.

"Rachel," Quinn's eyes were darker than normal as they flicked over Rachel's face. Rachel couldn't even distinguish the emotions flickering through them because they were changing so quickly. Quinn frowned before reaching up and undoing Rachel's chinstrap. She pulled the helmet off of her and let it drop on the ground. She quickly ran her fingers over Rachel's face and gently tilted her head from side to side, searching for injuries. Finally, she rested her hands on Rachel's flushed cheeks. Rachel wasn't sure how she was still breathing.

"Are you hurt?" Quinn's voice was tender and filled with worry. It made Rachel want to kiss her. Instead, she removed her mouthpiece so she could respond.

"I'm fine, Quinn. How did you find us?"

"I left my bag."

Rachel nodded. Quinn was still looking at her as if she were going to fall over.

"Quinn, I'm okay."

"Are you sure? Maybe you have a concussion."

"I do not. That didn't even hurt."

Quinn's eyes narrowed, "You sure?"

"Yes."

Quinn let her hands drop and took a step back. Rachel almost took a step forward, but she stopped herself. Instead she glanced behind her and saw Puck standing a few feet away, holding onto his helmet, eyeing Quinn warily. Rachel turned back in time to see Quinn take a deep breath, close her eyes, and release it slowly. When her eyes snapped open they were brimming with anger. She lunged past Rachel growling. By the time Rachel reacted Puck was flat on his back trying to protect his face and Quinn was yelling at him.

"What did I tell you, Puckerman?"

"Superstar, help me!"

Rachel pulled Quinn off of him with some difficulty, wrapping her arms around her waist. The blonde struggled against her. "Dammit, Rachel, let me go!"

"Chill out, Fabray."

"Quinn, please, calm down. Quinn. Quinn! Stop it!"

The body in her arms stilled. Rachel could feel Quinn's chest heaving. Puck scrambled to his feet and put his helmet back on. Rachel loosened her grip slightly.

"Stop it?" Quinn asked, her voice quiet, "I asked you to stop it and you didn't."

"It's not the same thing."

Quinn whirled around and grabbed her jersey, "Yes it is!"

"You scare me like this."

Quinn leaned closer, "You scare me like this! Do you know what it was like to see you on the ground?"

"Quinn…"

"No, Rachel. I'm not going to stop until you do."

Rachel stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest.

"That's not fair. I know the limits of my body. I'm a trained capoeirista, Quinn. As Noah put it, I'm a freakin ninja. I'm incredibly agile, flexible and adept at avoiding injury. But really, I'm just as likely to get injured doing this as am I dancing."

Quinn waved her arms, "Want to avoid injury? Stop this."

Rachel stomped her foot, "This is one of the reasons I get up in the morning. Remember when you told me that you were working on yourself this summer? This is me working on myself. This is me helping Noah work on himself."

Quinn gritted her teeth, "So if I asked you to do cheerleading for me, you would?"

"Perhaps if you actually talked to me, and if I wasn't so incapable of cheerleading. Trust me, I've already explored that option in my life."

Quinn closed the distance between them. "You can't do this. I won't allow it."

"I can do this and am doing this. And you cant say anything. I respect your concern, but it really is none of your business," Rachel took a breath, "I offered my friendship to you and you rejected it. You didn't respond to any of my texts or talk to me unless you thought I was hurt. You don't get a say in my life."

"This is me responding, Rachel, okay? Now just take those pads off and—"

"No! God, Quinn, Noah was right. You are acting like a possessive girlfriend. Frankly, I wouldn't mind if that were the case, as long as there was cuddling and romantic dinners, but you just get upset and threaten my bro and—"

"Stop."

Quinn stared at her intensely and it made Rachel squirm. She glanced at Puck. He had his hand covering his face.

"Did you just imply that you wanted me to be your girlfriend?

Rachel's stomach twisted and she looked down. Apparently, she couldn't hold in any of her secrets around Quinn.

"Rachel."

She looked up and squared her shoulders, "Yes, Quinn, that's exactly what I was implying. You are passionate, intelligent and unbelievably strong and brave. You're absolutely beautiful, Quinn. Anyone would be lucky to have you as their girlfriend."

Quinn took a step back and looked at her. Her eyes were guarded again. Rachel could feel her eyes begin to burn. Quinn's whole body seemed tense and she seemed to quiver a moment before she turned abruptly on her heel and walked away. Rachel couldn't watch her leave so she looked at her feet. She didn't look back up until Puck put his hand on her shoulder. He gave her a half smile.

"Well, at least she didn't slap you."

She leaned her head against he chest, "I guess."

That night when Rachel sent Quinn her text, a simple good night, it felt an awful lot like maybe it was goodbye.


	9. Chapter 9

For the first time all summer, Rachel hesitated to send Quinn her good morning text. Sure, before there were times when she wasn't quite sure what to say, but this time she wasn't sure whether or not she should text Quinn at all. Quinn had just left so abruptly like she couldn't get away from Rachel fast enough. Even though she expected the rejection, it hurt. But Rachel Berry was nothing if not determined and she still had two texts a day. So, she took a deep breath and sent one as per usual.

**Rachel: Good morning, Quinn. I hope you have a good day.**

She didn't want to admit it, but she had gotten used to Quinn responding, even if was gibberish about football and Puck and immense pain.

Hiram noticed that she was more subdued than usual and tried to talk to her about it, but Rachel was still irritated with him. She couldn't exactly discuss her Quinn problems with him without revealing that she was aware of her feelings and she wanted him to suffer a little while longer. She went about her day as if nothing had happened. Technically, as far as she knew, Quinn hadn't liked her at all before, so it wasn't as if anything had really changed.

Puck didn't say anything and he didn't try to get her to say anything. They practiced and ran through their drills and laughed. Part of Rachel wondered if Quinn might show up again. Puck must have wondered, too, because every time he tackled her he would jump back and look around before helping her up. For some reason, his belief that Quinn would come back made her feel better. When he drove her home, he turned the radio on as loud as it would go and they head banged all the way home.

The next two days passed much the same. Rachel tried not to feel upset, but she was acutely aware of Quinn's absence. Stalker Quinn was better than no Quinn at all. Actually, the more Rachel thought about it, Stalker Quinn was kind of sexy in a crazy, passionate kind of way, but it didn't matter. Rachel tried to keep her MySpace videos upbeat. When she showed them to Puck to get his opinion, he looked a little alarmed and then told her she needed more electric guitar and drums. Rachel told him she didn't think "Under the Sea" was supposed to have electric guitar.

On the third night, Rachel was just about to start another MySpace video when there was a knock on her door.

"Come in," Rachel called out.

Puck walked in with an empty case of hard lemonade and a plate of oatmeal raisin cookies. Rachel raised an eyebrow.

Puck shrugged, "We need to talk and we agreed there would be alcohol involved the next time we talked about emotional shit."

Rachel bit back her denial. "So, why is the box empty?"

"Elias shook me down at the door. I think he was going to let me up here with the contraband but then Hiram walked around the corner and turned a funny purple color. Dude ended up doing a full pat down, even took my hip flask."

Rachel chuckled, "Only you would show up to the house of a police officer with a six pack. And since when do you carry a hip flask?"

"Only for special occasions."

He sat on the bed and Rachel went and sat by him. He handed her a cookie and they munched quietly.

Rachel sighed, "I don't know what to say except that I feel kind of stupid, it hurts, and I'm trying to move on."

"Were you just brief? Because now I'm really concerned. Especially after the happy songs. You live music, babe. You're always honest with your music."

Rachel looked down," I just… with Jesse and Finn I made such a big deal about everything. It was big and showy. It was a show, a part like the relationships, even if I didn't realize it, "She turned to him, "I've never really been heartbroken before, Noah. I don't know how to deal with it. Part of me feels like I shouldn't even get to feel like this when we didn't even have a relationship."

"Us badass Jews, when we want something, we go all in. You went all in and you feel like you went bust, of course you feel like shit. But, I don't think you should give up. Where'd my Superstar go?"

"She opened her mouth and stuck her foot so far in it that she choked and died."

"I was kind of joking when I said it at first, but seriously, she didn't slap you. That means something."

Rachel scowled, "What does it mean? She walked away, Noah."

"Think about it, she couldn't have been angry about it. If she was angry she would have gone all ape shit on you like she did me. Baby mama's got claws and a mean right hook."

"I would have preferred that. Then I would know for sure where I stood. Here, there's a shred of hope, and it's torture."

Puck raised an eyebrow, "Isn't hope supposed to be, I don't know, hopeful?"

Rachel frowned, "Not when you really know that you're doomed but you can't accept it because you're clinging to that last shred of light."

Puck nudged her, "I don't think you're doomed. I think you just surprised her. Emotional overload or whatever. Did you not notice how she was touching you?"

"Of course I did. I felt it. She was so close and I wanted to kiss her."

"Well, she was looking at you the same way."

"Noah…"

"True story. I swear, if you weren't my bro, I'd totally add the image of you two pressed together giving each other sex eyes to my personal collection."

Rachel wrinkled her nose, "Thank God I'm your bro."

"I'm just saying, don't give up, okay?"

"I don't want to turn into some sort of stalker. I don't want to pressure her."

"Babe, girlfriend was stalking you first. They say that love is a form of obsession."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Sure they do."

Puck nudged her again, "Just promise, okay? My bro is hot shit and she can get anyone she wants."

Rachel gave him a small smile, "Okay."

Puck smiled back, "Okay. Now just keep sending your little text messages and charming her pants off."

Rachel groaned, "Noah, I'm not trying to get her pants off, I'm trying to date her."

"Date, get into pants, same thing."

"Says the self proclaimed sex shark."

"Don't be jealous because I'm the school stud. Speaking of school, are you get ready to go back? Less than a month and then breaks over."

Rachel hummed, "I don't know. I mean I'm excited about going back to Glee. I really believe we have a shot at Nationals this year. And another school year means a year closer to New York and Broadway. But, I don't look forward to the slushies or the insults."

Puck looked at her earnestly, a little hurt, "Do you really think that after the summer we've had I'd let them do that to you?"

Rachel's eyes widened and she put her hand on his arm, "Of course not. I just meant people will try to do it and, even though I know they're nobody, it still sucks."

He nodded and then his eyes lit up, "I say we turn that goddamn school on its head."

Rachel quirked an eyebrow, "And how do you propose we do that?"

Puck smirked, "Simple. We be ourselves. We're total badasses without even trying. Remember in elementary? We weren't popular, but we ruled that freaking place. Why? Because we were awesome. Now, we're ten times more awesome."

Rachel hummed, "Did you know that the principle of the middle school had a contingency plan for our arrival at middle school? In 8th grade, they let me help in the office instead of participate in recess. I saw them shred it."

"No shit? Like I said, Superstar and Puckasaurus are unstoppable together."

"I'm not going to turn into a class skipping juvenile delinquent—" Puck pouted "—but I wouldn't be opposed to making sure everyone knows our bromance has been renewed."

Puck smirked, "This is going to be so epic. Like the first time Mario meets Yoshi epic."

Rachel chuckled, "That epic, huh?"

"Don't question the greatness of Mario and Yoshi's relationship. People are going to see us walking down the halls and they're going to dive out of the way."

Rachel smiled and Puck paused. His face turned serious and Rachel looked at him questioningly.

"Wanna know what would be even better?"

"What?"

"If you joined the football team with me."

"Noah—"

"Here me out, okay? We already have the matching gear. We'd be like the twin terrors—scoring touchdowns and tackling like a boss. And you said we were doing this to help me get a scholarship. Who wants to give a scholarship to a player from the suckiest team in history? You're good, babe, and you like to play. Even with Finnept as the quarterback, we could mop up the field. I can't do this without you. Please?"

Rachel smirked at him, "I believe you've been spending too much time with me. That was definitely a Rachel Berry sized ramble. If you would have waited a moment to let me speak, I was going to say yes."

Puck crushed her in a bear hug. They spent the rest of the night talking about their plans for the rest of the summer.

Rachel debated on whether or not to tell Quinn. She had gotten used to telling her little things like that. In the end, Rachel decided to. If Quinn still cared, surely she would respond.

**Rachel: I just want to tell you that I've decided to try out for the football team. Please don't be upset. Sweet dreams, Quinn.**

Rachel fell asleep waiting for a text that never came.

Two days later, Quinn was still silent and Rachel was getting a little irritable. Puck convinced her they needed another bro night so, after they got cleaned up after practice, they headed to the mall. This time, Rachel wasn't worried about anything. Kurt had already texted all of Lima about their supposed romance and she was fully prepared to ignore whoever approached them. She didn't have to worry about Quinn seeing them because it was obvious that Quinn didn't care anymore.

First, Rachel bought them each two pretzels because they were ravenous from practice, and then they went to the bookstore. Rachel showed Puck all of the best sheet music and Puck showed Rachel the best comic books categorized by best storyline and the ones with the hottest chicks. When they were done there, they went to the arcade. Puck bought their tokens. They set a new high score on DDR. Rachel schooled him on Mortal Kombat and he owned her in a shooter. There was never a clear winner when it came to racing games because they each claimed the other was a horrible cheater. By the time they ran out of tokens, their stomachs were growling and they headed to the food court.

Puck got the biggest burger he could find and Rachel purchased a vegan stir fry. They sat down at a small booth and ate. They didn't bother with small talk because the silence was comfortable.

Rachel had finished eating and glanced to her right when she saw Kurt walking out of a store. She quickly turned away and watched him out of the corner of her eyes. She saw him notice them and stop walking before trying to sneak closer. Rachel pretended to keep her head down and Kurt slid into the booth behind Puck, sinking down so Rachel couldn't see him. She rolled her eyes. Amateur.

She tapped the table and Puck quirked an eyebrow. She smirked and grabbed one of his French fries and wrote Kurt in ketchup. She nodded behind him.

"Follow my lead," she mouthed.

Puck nodded and Rachel cleared her throat in order to make sure her voice was loud enough for Kurt to hear.

"Noah, we need to talk about the protection we've been using."

"Protection?"

"You know, for that thing we've been doing lately?"

"Oh. Ohhh. Babe, we've been using plenty of protection. Trust me."

"Are you sure? It's just the first time there was so much blood."

"That's because the Puckasaurus is as hard as a brick wall baby. Besides, didn't it feel good?"

"It did. Very satisfying. Such a release."

Puck smirked, "I know what you mean. After that first time, I just wanted to pound into you again and again."

Rachel tried to hold in a laugh as she heard Kurt gasp. "I felt the same way. I think I've decided that I like it better when I end up on top."

Puck almost spit out his drink. He winked, "It sure does make you sing."

"Well, you do shove me over the edge."

"Anything to get you off."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Are you finished eating for the night?"

"Is that a trick question?"

She stood up, "I think it's time to go."

Puck followed suit and they headed away from Kurt.

"You are so freakin bad," Puck whispered.

"What can I say, I'm a master of innuendo."

Rachel glanced at a store window as they passed and noticed Kurt following them.

"We've got company."

Puck through his arm around her shoulders and whispered, "My turn."

He cleared his throat. "Babe, I've been thinking, you know that new uniform you got for when we play?"

Rachel hesitated as he turned them towards Victoria's Secret. "Yes?"

"Well I think you need some new underwear. Don't want anything to chafe."

Rachel glared at him discreetly, "That sounds like a fantastic idea."

Puck smirked, "Glad you think so," And he pulled her into the store.

Rachel couldn't help the blush that rose on her cheeks. She had never actually been into one before. There were unmentionables, lacy unmentionables, everywhere, and pictures of half naked models. Kurt hadn't followed them into the store but he was lurking outside the doorway.

"Now what," she hissed, "Bros don't underwear shop together."

He shrugged, "We'll just pretend." He held up a pair of boy briefs, "Santana or Brittany?"

Rachel glared at him. He raised an eyebrow. She relented. "Definitely Brittany."

Puck looked thoughtful for a moment, "You know, I think you're right. Santana?"

"Does she even wear underwear?"

"Ouch."

"I didn't mean it like that. She just seems like a temptress of some sort, you know?"

"No underwear is tempting?"

Rachel scowled, "Never mind. I change my answer to something red and lacy."

"What about Quinn?"

Rachel sent him a warning glare.

"Babe, we both know you've imagined it."

"Is Kurt gone yet?"

Puck sighed and glanced over his shoulder. "Yep."

"Good, let's go."

They were walking past the food court again when a voice called out, "Rach, wait!"

Rachel tensed as she recognized it and told Puck to walk faster. They didn't walk fast enough, and their pursuer had abnormally long legs, and Rachel spun around when a hand grabbed her shoulder.

She glared at Finn, "I have nothing to say to you, sir."

"Rach."

Puck stepped in front of her, "She said back off, dude."

Finn glared at him, "You shouldn't be hanging around her."

Puck tensed and Rachel huffed, "You should stay away from me. I repeat, I do not wish to speak to you."

Finn gave her his best puppy dog eyes, "I'm worried about you. You're my friend. You shouldn't be hanging out with him."

Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose, "You are not my friend. I do not befriend people who are ashamed of who I am or who my parents are. Noah is my friend. My best friend. Don't speak poorly of him in my presence."

Finn's eyes narrowed, "I told you it wasn't about the gay thing. Are you doing this to get back at me? Puck's not your friend. He's just using you for sex."

Rachel and Puck exchanged a glance. Rachel's face remained stony, "I assure you, whatever physical activities Noah and I are engaged in are mutually beneficial."

Finn gaped at her and she heard Kurt's voice call, "I knew it!"

She looked beyond Finn to see Kurt rapidly approaching, along with Mercedes and…Quinn?

Rachel's breath caught in her throat. She looked as beautiful as ever and it made Rachel's heart twist. Quinn's eyes were burning brightly as thy flicked over the three of them. When she met Rachel's gaze, the look intensified. Rachel was vaguely aware of Puck and Finn arguing, her bro acting as a shield for her. Finn kept trying to reach out and touch her and she didn't like it. The way Quinn's eyebrow was twitching indicated that she didn't like it either.

"Rach, don't let him do this to you."

Rachel blinked and focused on Finn.

"Excuse me?"

"He's going to turn you into a whore, Rachel."

Finn's voice was so sincere it made Rachel want to kill him that much more. Puck caught her as she lunged for him.

"He's not worth it, Superstar."

"Pet names?" Kurt quipped.

"Can it, Shirley Temple," Rachel hissed, "And you, you pathetic excuse for a human being, never say anything like that about either of us again. Noah is one of the best men that I know. My fathers are proud to consider him a member of our family."

Mercedes spoke, "Hold up, do they know what you to are up to? Because my dad wouldn't let me near anybody who had me talking dirty in the mall where anybody could hear. And picking out sexy underwear. When Kurt came and told us poor Finn couldn't believe it and Quinn turned green with disgust."

Something she said made Rachel pause. She looked at them and her stomach twisted. "You all came here together?"

Kurt rolled his eyes, "What does that have to do with anything?"

Rachel felt the frantic energy in her body begin to build. She flicked her eyes from Finn to Quinn, "You came here with them."

Rachel wanted to kill Finn and hide his body, but she was too busy staring at Quinn who had quirked her eyebrow as if to ask "what?"

She swallowed hard, "You. Came here. With him."

Puck swore softly beside her and Quinn's eyes widened when she understood what Rachel was saying.

Finn spoke, "I can see whoever I want Rachel."

Rachel forced herself to turn around and storm away. She heard Puck say, "That was a bitch move" before he was beside her and they were headed out the door.

Rachel felt betrayed and angry and jealous. She wanted to kick and scream, but she forced herself to stay still as Puck put the keys in the ignition and started the truck. She nodded once when he glanced her way and he put the truck into gear. Rachel took a deep breath and her phone went off. She only checked it because it might have been one of her fathers. It wasn't.

**Quinn: Rachel, it wasn't like that, I swear.**

Rachel clenched her jaw and put the phone in her pocket. It went off again.

**Quinn: I was hanging out with Mercedes and we met them here.**

Rachel mashed on her keys furiously.

**Rachel: Sounds like a double date to me. I hope you enjoyed yourself.**

**Quinn: It wasn't like that, I swear. I wouldn't do that.**

**Quinn: Now who's being the possessive girlfriend?**

**Quinn:Rachel.**

**Quinn: Goddammit, Rachel, I was not out on a date with Finn. Get over yourself.**

The truck stopped in front of Rachel's house. She hugged Puck.

"I had an awesome bro night with you. Thank you."

He gave her a sad smile, "Except for the end."

"Only the very end. See you tomorrow."

"Sure thing."

She waved as he pulled away. Her phone went off again.

**Quinn: You'd better not be doing something stupid with Puckerman.**

Rachel kissed both of her dads goodnight and went through her nighttime regimen.

**Quinn: Rachel. Please talk to me.**

Rachel shut off her phone, crawled into bed, and went to sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

Rachel was in a foul mood when she woke up and she felt like she hadn't slept at all. Instead of getting up, she buried her head under her pillow and tried to breathe. It was hard for her to believe that the events of the previous night had really occurred. She had never felt so emotionally or physically out of control before. Thinking back on it, she and Puck should have known something bad was going to come out of their innuendos. Rachel had expected maybe a few poorly spelled and articulated texts from Finn and another verbal confrontation with Kurt. She didn't regret what they did. Kurt was too nosy for his own good and he would look ridiculous when people figured out that they weren't dating. And, it had been fun trying to stay true to the discussion about football pads and tackling experiences while making it sound as dirty as possible. It was a challenge and they had met it spectacularly. But then Finn had to be there and open his big mouth. Rachel would not stand to have anyone bad mouth her bro. Noah may have had a sordid past, as far as the glee clubbers were concerned, but that didn't mean they could get away with treating him like that. She understood what Puck meant when he said Finn got everything without deserving it. He had everyone's support and trust and he was nothing but a coward who thought everything anyone did revolved around himself. And then to see Quinn…

Pain shot through Rachel's chest. It had been so confusing for Rachel to see Quinn standing there looking at her with the same fire in her eyes as she did when she usually caught Rachel with Puck. How could Quinn look at her like that, as if she hadn't walked away and ignored Rachel for the past five days? How could she go insane when Puck so much as looked at her, but not say a word when Finn said those horrible things? Quinn knew they weren't sleeping together. How could she not after Rachel's confession? And then Rachel had realized that Quinn had been with Finn, and Kurt and Mercedes, but with Finn, and Rachel had exploded. She'd wanted to hurt Finn before, but once the jealousy had coursed through her, she had really wanted to hurt him. She had never before been so close to physically harming someone out of anger. And she would have, if Puck hadn't have been there and inadvertently reminded her of their agreement not to kick anyone's ass. She had to leave, had to storm out or she would have done something that would have gotten her arrested. Especially after Finn implied that he could have Quinn if he wanted to.

Rachel knew that Quinn probably hadn't been on a date with Finn, but just the fact that she was there with him at all when she had been ignoring Rachel for almost a week had hurt. The pain made her irrational. Everything about Quinn made her irrational, so she ignored Quinn's texts. She didn't want to say something that she really regretted. And, it was hard for Rachel for Quinn to go from paying her no attention to lots of attention, back to no attention, and then back to texting Rachel like she really did care. It made Rachel feel like a yoyo, a little toy, continually being thrown away and pulled back. A part of her didn't respond to Quinn because then maybe she would finally know what Rachel felt like all summer. Rachel wanted Quinn more, and more genuinely, than she had ever wanted anybody else and she didn't know how much more she could take.

The brunette sat up slowly and eyed her phone warily. She wasn't sure if she should even turn it on. She took a breath and hit the power button, her eyes quickly scanning through the text messages.

**Quinn: Rachel.**

**Mercedes: That little diva fit reminded me why I didn't want to see you this summer.**

**Quinn: Rachel Berry.**

**Finn: I stll cr abt u**

**Quinn: Rachel Barbra Berry!**

**Kurt: We're just trying to think about glee club. Don't mope around when Puck breaks your heart. You'll get what you deserve.**

**Quinn: That's it, I'm coming to your house.**

**Puck: It'll be okay, Superstar, I promise.**

**Quinn: Fine, Rachel, just fine.**

Rachel rubbed at her eyes. This was such a mess. Were everyone else's lives normally so dramatic, or was it some kind of weird side effect from too much Broadway (not that Rachel was entirely sure that was possible)? Part of her wanted to text Quinn and apologize for her behavior, explain herself, but she wanted an apology too. She wanted Quinn to explain things to her, too. Rachel was unsure about a lot when it came to Quinn, but she knew she needed to stand up for herself. Maybe just a simple "good morning" would do? Rachel shook her head. She needed breakfast before she could deal with this and it was already past 8:30. She was surprised her father hadn't tried to wake her up; he was normally so punctual when it came to breakfast. She figured there must have been an emergency at the hospital and he'd had to leave early.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she paused. She heard her dad's voice coming from the kitchen, so he was definitely home. Maybe he'd gotten busy on the telephone or maybe her daddy decided to take the day off of work. Rachel yawned and tried to force her body to relax. She didn't want to play twenty questions with him this morning.

She pushed open the door of her kitchen and stopped abruptly. Her palms began to sweat and she tried to refrain from gaping like a fish, but she was pretty sure it wasn't working. Breakfast for three was set at the table and it looked like it had gone cold. Her dad wasn't on the phone, he was sitting at the table with one of the family photo albums positively gushing ("And she was four in this one. Look how adorable she is dressed up as Rumpleteazer.") over her pictures. Sitting next to him with an amused smile on her face was Quinn Fabray. She looked tired. Her hair was in a messy, loose pony tail and it looked as if she'd just thrown on whatever was laying around and came over. Quinn looked perfectly at ease sitting at her table and it made Rachel's stomach flip.

Hiram was the first to notice her and he smiled cheerfully, "Good morning, pumpkin. We were beginning to think you weren't going to get up at all."

Quinn's smile turned into a smirk.

Rachel licked her lips, "Good morning, Dad. Good morning, Quinn."

"Good morning, Rachel."

If Hiram noticed the tension in the room, he didn't show it. "Quinn came knocking at 7:30, just as I was getting ready to start breakfast. I brought out the photo album so she'd have something to do while she waited for you. I'm sure she didn't want to listen to me jabber about medical terms."

Rachel tore her gaze away from Quinn and looked at her father. She put her hands on her hips, "Dad, I don't think it's typical protocol to show one's childhood pictures without a request being given by the guest and the express permission granted by the person whose photographs are being shown."

Quinn raised her eyebrow. Hiram shook his head, "Nonsense, Rachel. Quinn's enjoying them, aren't you, Quinn?"

"Yes, sir. Very much."

Rachel fought the urge to stomp her feet. Damn her. She was acting completely calm and Rachel felt like she was going to crawl out of her skin. It was like she was in some strange parallel universe where her dad thought it was completely normal for Quinn to show up for breakfast and completely normal to show someone who had, up until five days ago, essentially been stalking Rachel her private memories. She was going to have to watch him when she became famous. Who knows what crazed fan he'd let into the house.

"Sit down, pumpkin, eat your breakfast."

Rachel sat down slowly across from Quinn, eyeing her warily. What was she doing here? What did she want? Was she going to do something besides smirk and look through Rachel's pictures? Currently, she was completely avoiding Rachel's gazed, studiously flipping through the photo album. Every once in a while her eyebrow would twitch or her lips would quirk. It was driving Rachel crazy.

Finally Hiram cleared his throat, "Well, girls, I have to get going to work. It was good to see you again, Quinn."

Quinn smiled, "You too, Dr. Berry."

"Bye, Dad," Rachel grumbled.

He leaned down to hug her and whispered in her ear, "Whatever it is, work it out."

Rachel stared after him. When she head the front door close, she turned back to Quinn, who was still flipping through the photo album slowly, deliberately. Rachel opened and closed her mouth several times. She clenched and unclenched her hands and then she took a deep breath. If Quinn wanted to play the silent game, they would play the silent game. Ten minutes later, Rachel was biting her tongue and Quinn was still looking at pictures. Rachel was this close to grabbing the book and flinging it across the room. Then Rachel decided that it wasn't Quinn's turn to pick the game they were playing. She pushed her breakfast away and folded her arms across her chest.

"What are you doing here, Quinn?"

"Looking at you," She lifted the photo album, "Apparently you really are some kind of dancing ninja. And you lied, you have been naked with Puckerman." Quinn flipped to a picture of Baby Rachel and Baby Noah in the bathtub. She looked very amused.

Rachel growled and lunged across the table for the book. Quinn jerked back quickly, a little too quickly, and her chair tipped backwards. For a second, the chair seemed to hesitate and Rachel met Quinn's wide eyes and her heart lept up to her throat and then Quinn crashed to the floor. Rachel jumped out of her chair, ran around the table, and knelt next to Quinn. The blonde was starting to sit up, blinking rapidly. Rachel wrapped an arm around her shoulders and helped her sit up the rest of the way. She ran her hands down Quinn's arms and then back up checking for injuries. She ran her fingers through Quinn's hair checking for bumps, "Are you okay? I'm sorry. I'm sorry."

Quinn's eyes fluttered shut for a second before she turned her steely gaze onto Rachel. "How does it feel?"

Rachel paused, "Your head? I guess—"

"No. The worry."

Rachel's hands froze, "What?"

Quinn's voice was dangerously low, "Whatever you're feeling right now, I feel times ten whenever I see you show up with bruises or laid out on the field."

Rachel pulled away, "Quinn…"

"No," Quinn snapped, "Do you know how much worse it was last night? You stormed out of there with Puckerman, going to do God knows what—"

"You know we aren't having sex!"

"I'm not talking about sex! I'm talking about whatever you manage to do that leaves bruises! Fighting or whatever. And then you didn't answer any of my texts. The only reason I got any sleep at all was because Puck, Noah Puckerman!, texted me to let me know he'd dropped you off safely at your house, among other things."

Rachel blinked, "He did?"

"Yes," Quinn growled, "He did. But you should have. I've gotten a goddamn text every night for the past two months and there was no excuse—"

"I was angry," Rachel snapped, "And since when do you care about my texts?"

"Since forever! You had no right to be mad! I was not on a date with Finn!"

"I wasn't mad at you! I was mad at him and his stupid face and the stupid things coming out of his stupid mouth." Rachel stood up and started pacing, and then she stopped and glared at Quinn, "And then I was mad at you. Puck throws a football in my general direction and you try to kill him, Finn tries to touch me with his grabby paws and calls me a whore, verbally assaults me, and it doesn't matter. You didn't do a thing."

Quinn jumped up, her eyes blazing, "Of course it mattered! But you lunged for him and Puck was holding you back and then the next thing I know you think I'm dating him before you storm out."

Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose, "I was going to hurt him. I was going to physically assault him and I didn't want my daddy to have to go back to work just so he could bail me out of jail."

"Because he insulted you and Puck."

Rachel nodded, and then shook her head, "Because he said he could have you."

Quinn blinked and her face scrunched up.

Rachel sighed, "Quinn, I realize that you will probably never return my feelings, but, please, never date him. Ever. He could never even begin to deserve or appreciate you. He's a selfish, spineless coward. You deserve so much better than he could hope to be."

Quinn's eyes searched her face, "What did he do to you?"

"He dumped me because of my fathers, regardless of what he says otherwise. Some men approached me and asked an inappropriate question about them and he did nothing. Pretended like he couldn't hear them, got uncomfortable when I defended them, and then pulled away and dumped me. Not that I can't say I'm happy to have him gone from my life. I never really liked him anyway."

Quinn's eyes got darker and her eyebrow twitched, "I should have slapped him harder."

Rachel quirked an eyebrow.

Quinn took a step towards her, "After you and Puckerman executed your spectacular diva storm out, Finn went to follow you. I stepped in front of him and slapped him. I called him an idiot. Actually, I called them all idiots. And some other things. Then, I left the mall and tried to text you."

Rachel wrapped her arms around herself, "Why?"

Quinn looked down at the floor, "Do you know why I was at the mall with Mercedes?"

Rachel rolled her eyes, "Obviously, that's why for a split second I thought you were with Finn and I almost threw up a little."

Quinn's eyes snapped back up and they were smoldering. Rachel gasped quietly.

"Rachel. I was there because we'd been talking. Brittany and Santana have been fighting over Lord Tubbington and are probably still having make up sex and I needed someone to talk to. She's my closest friend besides them, even if she can be a jealous bitch."

Rachel scowled, "You told Mercedes about my feelings for you? What, where you laughing—"

"Of course not! For someone who claims to like me you're assuming the worst of me. I'm going to let it slide because I'm going to assume this is leftover aggression for Finn. I did talk to her about your feelings and my feelings about your feeling. Consequently, thanks to my use of gender neutral pronouns, she and Kurt are probably going to be gabbing about how some punk friend of Puck's has a crush on me."

Rachel shifted, "I suppose, technically, that's true."

Quinn scoffed, "You're about as punk as a dolphin."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "So, what were the wise and all knowing Mercedes Jones' thoughts on the matter?"

Quinn put her hands on her hips, "First you should know that my opinion was already formed, but after I heard what Mercedes had to say, I knew I'd made the correct decision."

Rachel squeezed her fists so tight she could feel her nails digging into her palms. The anger was completely gone from the cheerleader's eyes, but it was being overpowered by an intense smugness. The blonde had her exactly where she wanted her and she knew it. Rachel was essentially powerless at this point in the conversation and it set her teeth on edge.

Quinn stepped closer, "Mercedes said that anyone who would spend large amounts of time with Puck was probably just as hopeless as he was—" Rachel bristled. Quinn held up her hand, "—and that he wasn't worth my time. She said that Puck was a selfish, immature, shallow jackass and that, inevitably, someone who was friends with him had to be the same way. And, you know what?"

Rachel was so mad she couldn't even speak, and Quinn knew because she only paused a second before continuing.

"I was pissed."

Rachel blinked and her face scrunched up in confusion. Quinn's eyes were angry again and she was glaring at Rachel.

"I was pissed because I was going to defend Puck. I should still hate him for getting me pregnant, treating me like shit for most of it, and then making me feel bad for not keeping her, but I don't. Because you spent all summer telling me about the things you were doing together and how sweet he was to you and how loyal he was with you. He's a good friend to you and when Mercedes said all of those things, I realized that Puck wasn't really any of them, not with you, and I was offended on your behalf."

Rachel gaped at her.

Quinn sighed, "I don't like him. I'm angry at him still sometimes, especially right now with you, but I can't hate him. And it's your fault."

Rachel's eyes flicked over Quinn's face and she licked her lips, "What….what does that mean?"

Quinn shrugged, "Did you know that the only thing that stopped me was Kurt running up to us, dragging Finn behind him, so he could tell us what he'd heard in the food court?"

Rachel grimaced and shook her head.

Quinn's eyes darkened considerably, "Part of me admits it was really clever—talking about football under the guise of sex, but a bigger part of me want to smack the both of you. Hard. Because now the whole school thinks you two are having sex and that you let him pick out your underwear."

Rachel snorted, "They've thought worse things about me."

Quinn stepped closer again. She was within arms reach.

"Worse for you, maybe, but not worse for me. Because the first thing I though was that now everyone was going to think that Puckerman had his filthy hands all over my Rachel."

Rachel's breath caught, "What?"

"You were right when you said I was acting like a jealous girlfriend. I'm not going to say that I secretly knew that I was in love with you all summer because it's not true. I knew there was something there, some uncomfortable feeling in my gut, and I wanted to avoid it. And you. But you had to text me and you had to get hurt and I tried not to know what it was. I thought I was doing a good job of it too, until I saw Puckerman tackle you and you had to open your big mouth."

Rachel had a strange mix of hope and dread churning in her stomach because it sounded like Quinn was telling her that maybe she felt the same way, but she was still glaring at her and her body was rigid with tension.

Rachel licked her lips, "Quinn…"

"No," Quinn snapped, poking Rachel in the chest with her index finger, 'I'm not done yet. You wanted me to respond all summer? This is my response. I didn't want to think about it, but you made it impossible not to. I've spent the last week having to deal with all of this shit. I have never had an issue with homosexuality, but I do have an issue with my own homosexuality."

Rachel winced. She wanted to hug Quinn and tell her that everything would be okay. She wanted to smooth the frown away from her face. She wanted to kiss her. Instead, she stood there silently just like Quinn wanted and waited for her to continue. Quinn's finger was still jabbed into her chest and she was breathing heavily.

"It's not fair. I don't want to be a part of a minority that is ridiculed, assaulted and treated like second class citizens. I don't want people to call me names and wonder if I'm on the cheerios just because I want to look at girls. My father was a bigot and while my mother isn't, she's not going to know what to do."

Quinn's eyes were boiling with hot tears that refused to spill over. Rachel clenched her fists tighter so she wouldn't reach out.

"I care what people think. I always have. I want people to look at me and say 'There's Quinn Fabray. Look at her, she has everything.' I want people to want to be me. Do you understand that? Do you understand how badly I want that?"

Rachel squeezed her eyes shut. Her heart ached and she wasn't sure if it hurt more for her or for the girl standing in front of her. She couldn't speak, so she just nodded. Quinn's breath was coming out in hot bursts and she had moved close enough that Rachel could feel it on her face.

When the blonde spoke again, her voice was low. "Good. Then you know what it means when I say that I want you more."

Rachel's eyes snapped open, "What?"

The hand that had been jabbing her flattened so that it was just resting against her chest.

Quinn's eyes were steady on hers.

"My goals this summer were to get back in shape and back on the cheerios, and to become a stronger person. How can I say that I'm a stronger person if I can't even try to get what I want? Why would people want to be me if I'm faking everything while I'm dying inside? I'm angry that this has to be such a big deal. I'm going to be insecure and I might get a little bit depressed sometimes. I'm not going to be ready for public displays of affection, but I'm not going to be ashamed of you. If you hadn't noticed, I'm kind of possessive of you and if someone asked I'd tell them you were mine. I'm not going to tell everyone that I'm gay, but I'm not going to hide it."

Rachel reached forward slowly and put her hand on Quinn's cheek.

Quinn took a breath, "What I'm trying to say is that if you want to deal with all of that, then I want to try."

Rachel's lips quirked, "Are you implying that you want to be my girlfriend?"

Quinn gave a watery chuckle, "If I say yes, will you turn around and walk away?"

Rachel used her thumb to wipe away the few tears that finally spilled. "I guess you'll have to find out."

Quinn's eyes fluttered shut and she licked her lips before she opened them again. They were filled with fear and hope. "Yes, Rachel. You're infuriating and passionate and strong. You're loyal and ridiculously determined. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a girlfriend."

Rachel put her other hand on Quinn's shoulder, "You'll never be ashamed of me, of us?"

"Never."

Quinn smiled and it was beautiful. Rachel smiled back. And then Quinn leaned down slowly and Rachel leaned up. Their noses brushed and Quinn's phone went off.

"God, that's my mom. I have to answer it."

Rachel groaned and buried her face in her hands as Quinn took a step back and answered her phone. She gripped Rachel's shirt lightly.

"Mom, I'm kinda- I went to a friend's house. I'm so- Oh. Oh. Well- Right now? But—Please—okay. Okay. I'm leaving right now. I said I'm on my way. Bye."

Quinn frowned, "I have to go."

"I heard."

"I'll see you after practice, okay?"

"Okay."

Quinn hesitated before quickly brushing her lips against Rachel's forehead and practically running out the door.

Rachel stood there blinking for a minute before she glanced at the clock. She idly realized that she had missed ballet. She spotted the photo album on the floor and she picked it up. Suddenly she smirked and grabbed her phone. She sent a text to Puck.

**Rachel: You should be worried. My girlfriend saw a baby picture of us naked together in the tub.**

**Puck: Wait, what?**

**Rachel: Quinn showed up at my house this morning. My dad gave her the photo album.**

**Puck:…..**

**Rachel: My GIRLFRIEND saw baby pictures of us.**

**Puck: HELL YEAH! I knew my Superstar was hot shit.**

On the way to practice, Puck pumped her for information. Multiple fist bumps were exchanged, until the end.

"What do you mean you didn't kiss her? You totally just lost badass points."

"I couldn't, Noah! Trust me, I would have, but she left so quickly."

Puck rolled his eyes, "When she swooped down for the forehead, you should have planted one on her."

"Our first kiss will not be a rushed good bye."

"Mhmm. Hey—"

"No, you cannot watch."

Puck pouted, "Fine, but only because you're my bro. But, what I was going to say was that, as your bro, I'm going to have to have a talk with her."

Rachel raised any eyebrow, "Is that a good idea? You're kind of afraid of her."

Puck scoffed, "The Puckasaurus is scared of no man."

"Quinn is a woman."

"Okay, I'm a little afraid of her, but I'd do anything for you."

Rachel smiled, "Likewise."

When Rachel and Puck walked out onto the field after getting changed in the storage shed, Quinn was standing by the bleachers with her hands on her hips. They exchanged a glance before walking over to her. Puck made sure he stayed slightly behind Rachel. Quinn was scowling, but her lips quirked when she looked at Rachel.

"You two got me in trouble."

Rachel frowned and she and Puck exchanged another glance. "We did?"

"The phone call earlier? My mom just got the cell phone bill for July. Apparently I went over by at least 300 texts. "

Puck smirked, "Hey, your crazy is all your fault. Rach and I just wanted to play football."

"About that-"

"Fabray, you aren't going to take my bro."

Quinn grabbed him by the face mask and pulled him down, ignoring Rachel's noise of protest, "Shut it, Puckerman. I don't like you right now, but you're Rachel's bro and I have to accept it, just like I'm going to have to accept you two playing football." She released him and looked at Rachel pointedly, "I don't like it at all. I don't know if I'll ever be used to seeing you get tackled, but I'm going to try."

Rachel gave her a small smile.

Quinn glared at Puck, "But I swear to God, if you hurt her you will experience a world of pain."

Puck puffed out his chest and he leaned forward, "Same thing goes for you, Fabray. Nobody messes with Superstar and gets away with it, even you."

Quinn's eyebrow twitched but she nodded, "Deal."

Rachel wanted to reach for her hand, but she didn't want to push Quinn's boundaries already. She smiled brightly, "Thank you for trying, Quinn."

"Thank you for trying," Quinn murmured.

Puck cleared his throat and smirked.

Quinn clenched her jaw, "I have to go. Mom's decided we need to have another discussion about household rules and messaging plans. I don't know if I'll be in touch tonight. If you two haven't gotten me grounded, I think I might start staying for your practices. Someone needs to make sure you two don't kill each other."

Puck flinched, "Hold on, you're not going to be anywhere near here when we practice, not if you're going to kill me every time I tackle her."

Rachel spoke softly, "He's right, Quinn."

Quinn crossed her arms and she glared at Puck, "You want her to play football, right?"

"Yeah, but—"

"I have to get used to it. If she makes it on the football team, I can't be rushing onto the field to kill anyone who touches her."

Puck scowled, "Fine."

"Fine," Quinn mimicked, before smiling at Rachel, "I've really got to go."

Rachel smiled softly, "Okay."

Quinn made no move to leave, just stared at Rachel. Finally she blinked and glanced around the field.

"Puckerman, take ten steps back and turn around."

"Why—"

"Now," Quinn growled.

Puck moved quickly. Quinn stepped closer to Rachel before pulling her closer by her jersey. Rachel was surprised but she put her hands gently on Quinn's waist. Quinn's fingers trembled as they fumbled with the chinstrap on Rachel's helmet. By the time the helmet hit the ground, Quinn's lips were one hers. The kiss was chaste, just a gentle brushing of lips, and Quinn's lips were soft and warm. Rachel wanted to pull her even closer and do….something, but she was surprised that Quinn was even kissing her at all, even if the football field was deserted. By the time Quinn pulled away, Rachel thought she was going to explode.

Quinn's cheeks were flushed pink, "I wanted to do that earlier."

Rachel nodded furiously.

Quinn stepped back, biting her lip, "I'll see you tomorrow."

Rachel grinned after her until Puck bumped her shoulder with his. He offered her his fist. She hit it. They went back to practice, Rachel humming "We are the Champions" under her breath.

That night Rachel smirked as she sent out her nightly text message.

**Rachel: I thought I should inform you that I've started dating this really hot cheerleader. Good night Quinn. Sleep well. P.S. Do I still only get two texts?**


	11. Chapter 11

Four days. That's how long Rachel Berry had been dating Quinn Fabray. In a lot of ways, things were still the same—Rachel texted her good morning and good night, her fathers still thought that she thought she was straight, Rachel and Puck practiced football, and Quinn threatened Puck physically at least once a day. However, Rachel was now allowed more than just two texts. Luckily, Quinn hadn't been grounded and her mother finally switched over to an unlimited plan. That's not to say that Quinn and Rachel messaged each other all the time. They each had their own lives and Quinn still needed a little space. Sometimes Rachel wanted to text Quinn nonstop, but she hadn't gotten Quinn by flooding her inbox, but by subtly inserting herself into her life. Rachel appreciated loud and obnoxious shows of emotion. She was used to drama, but over the summer she had learned to appreciate subtlety. Like the way she could sit with Puck and not talk at all. Or the way Quinn could be eviscerating Puck with her eyes but then she'd glance at Rachel and her lips would quirk.

So far football practices with Quinn had been interesting. Rachel had had to drag her off of Puck twice—once when she'd taken too long to get up after a tackle, and once when he'd given Rachel a congratulatory slap on the ass. Rachel had never seen Quinn's face turn so red. But, Quinn was getting a little bit better each day. She'd bring a book and sit in the bleachers and pretend to read for as long as she could stand it. So far, she'd left early every day, but she'd always be waiting outside in the parking lot when they got done.

The first time Quinn had been waiting for them after practice hadn't gone so well. Quinn and Puck got into a fight over who would get to take Rachel home. Puck insisted it counted as part of their bro time. Quinn told him she could take Rachel home if she wanted to because Rachel was her girlfriend. There were several threats and lots of swearing on both sides. Rachel had tried to stop them and had been shushed by both parties. Deciding she didn't have to listen to them, she turned away and started walking home. Quinn and Puck quickly came to a compromise. They now took turns driving home. When Rachel rode with Puck, they turned the music on so loud they received glares from the other drivers. They made plans about the school year and getting Rachel onto the football team. When Rachel rode with Quinn, the blonde would spend about five minutes muttering under her breath about football and Puckerman. Then she would lightly rest her hand on top of Rachel's and ask her about her day.

It always amazed Rachel how possessive and touchy Quinn would be when she was worried about her. She would pull her close and run her hands just about everywhere checking for injuries. But when it came to just the two of them, Quinn seemed so nervous about touching her, as if Rachel was going to dissolve or maybe push her away. They hadn't kissed since their first and Rachel really wanted to kiss her again. But, she was letting Quinn set the pace physically. Every once in a while, Rachel would initiate contact, but it was rare. It felt really strange because she knew that Quinn was just as compelled to touch her as Rachel was Quinn.

They had yet to go on a proper date, or any outing at all. So far, their interactions had been limited to football practice and texts. Despite the fact that Quinn said she wouldn't be ashamed of her, Rachel was trying to be considerate. She was trying to give Quinn time to adjust before she asked her out on an official date. Besides, if Quinn was ready, she could always ask Rachel first.

Rachel was still keeping tight lipped when it came to discussing things with her fathers, but that didn't mean she hadn't told anybody. Her gut reaction had been to text Finn and tell him "in your face", but she didn't. The only person Rachel had told besides Puck was her Aunt Sue.

It was the fourth day and they were out on their Sunday lunch. They had already visited Jean and had already discussed proper interrogation techniques.

"How exactly did you manage to unpress Fabray's lemon? I knew she was a latent homosexual, but I was beginning to doubt she would ever realize it."

Rachel shrugged, "Persistence. Determination. And unwavering refusal to accept complete dismissal."

Sue leaned forward, "You drugged her, didn't you? Rachel, I expressly told you to use the powder only in the case of emergencies or when dealing with Figgins."

Rachel scowled, "I did not drug her. I just wormed my way into her heart."

"Like a flesh eating maggot."

"If you wish, then yes, like a maggot. And the powder is still tucked in with my school supplies, thank you very much."

Sue studied Rachel for a moment. Her eyes were very intense. She leaned back.

"You're not dating a closet case, are you? Because I will not allow you to tarnish the Berry Sylvester family name with such a pathetic display of self disrespect."

Rachel fidgeted, "She's not a closet case. She's just not ready for public displays of affection."

Sue scowled, "Have you even been out together?"

Rachel winced, "We've been busy."

"Rachel Barbra Berry—"

"Really! We've already talked about this. If anyone asks, Quinn won't deny our relationship. We're just not going to broadcast it to the entire population."

Sue scoffed, "I taught you to be smarter than that. She says that now, but once confronted Q could prove to be as yellow as her hair."

"She won't. I know she won't."

Rachel held her aunt's piercing gaze. Finally, Sue gave a sharp nod.

"You'd better not get her pregnant."

If Rachel had been drinking something she would have spit it everywhere.

"Excuse me?"

"I need all of my cheerios in top form this season. I cannot afford to lose Q again. They pyramid's already unsteady enough with Lopez and her new flotation devices."

"I believe you changed enough of my diapers to realize I don't have the necessary equipment."

Sue scoffed, "I'm sure Puckerman would be a willing donor and a turkey baster only costs a buck fifty at the grocery store. I know how over eager you baby lesbians can be."

"Fine. No turkey basters. But I can't promise we won't rent a u haul or start wearing matching plaid sweater vests."

Sue looked amused, "Fabray has to wear her uniform to school."

"Darn it."

"Speaking of uniforms, football, Rachel?"

Rachel nodded, "I find it invigorating. Noah and I have decided it's something that we want to do together this year."

Sue raised an eyebrow, "You and Puckerman have grand plans for this year already, don't you?"

Rachel shrugged, "Perhaps."

"Just stay away from my office. The rest of the school can go to hell in a hand basket for all I care. Understood?"

"Understood."

"I find it strange how my dear niece always manages to join forces with my mortal enemies. It's the only reason I haven't been able to completely and utterly destroy them and all they hold dear."

Rachel raised her eyebrow, "Since when is Coach Tanaka your mortal enemy? You didn't even see him as competition when he was with Miss Pillsbury."

Sue waved her hand dismissively. "Tanaka is nothing but a sniveling baby. I'm referring to his replacement, Barney. Beelzebub? Bigfoot? I think it's Bigfoot."

"Replacement?"

"Apparently Tanaka had an emotional breakdown and Figgins hired a lady coach. She's already requested part of my budget in order to improve her team of losers." Sue's eyes narrowed. "No one messes with Sue Sylvester's budget."

Rachel nodded, "I understand completely. But maybe we'll actually have a chance at winning this year. It would look good for the cheerios to back a winning team for once."

Sue studied her, "I see what you're trying to do. You need to work on your subtlety. If she proves a worthy opponent, I might back off a little, but only in order to fully devote myself to destroying William's godawful hair."

"So you'll secretly cheer for me at all of my games?"

"Of course. I might even bring your Aunt Jean."

Two days later, Puck and Rachel showed up for practice as usual. Normally, Quinn wouldn't show up until after they had already started. She took the time between her practice and theirs to run to the gas station for an extra large Gatorade. This particular day, however, Quinn was already in the bleachers. She glared at Puck at smiled at Rachel. Rachel gave her a small wave and Puck stuck his tongue out before they went into the storage shed to change just as they always did.

They stepped out onto the field and Rachel was going to go put up the cones when Puck nudged her.

"Dude, what's wrong with baby mama?"

Rachel looked over at Quinn. She was staring at them in utter bewilderment, but then her eyes narrowed and her face started turning this strange shade of purple.

"Oh God, do you think she's choking? Should I—"

"She's not flailing. If she was choking she'd be flailing. I think."

Rachel nodded, her face creased with worry, "Maybe I should go check on her anyways."

She didn't have to. Quinn stood up abruptly, threw her book to the ground, and stormed towards them.

"What did you do?" Rachel hissed.

"I didn't do shit!" he hissed back, grabbing Rachel and holding her in front of him like a shield.

Quinn stopped in front of them, seething. She jabbed her finger at them, "You…you…"

Rachel was concerned, "Quinn, what's wrong?"

"You…clothes…naked!"

Rachel frowned, "What?"

Puck chuckled behind her, "Ohhh. So that's it."

Quinn hissed. Rachel was even more confused.

"What is it, Noah?"

"Crazy over there just realized we've been changing together."

Rachel's eyes widened, "Oh, Quinn. It's nothing. And we don't get completely naked."

"It doesn't matter!"

Puck smirked, "Superstar, Fabray's just jealous she hasn't seen you in your underwear yet and the Puckasaurus could sneak a peak whenever he wanted."

"You're going to die, Puckerman!"

"Noah, stop! Quinn, please!"

Quinn stopped snarling at Puck long enough to glare at Rachel.

"Quinn, we're just changing. You know we aren't attracted to each other like that. We have to change somewhere."

"So change in the locker rooms like normal people!"

A voice cut off Rachel's response.

"Do you honestly think I'd give the My Little Lesbian and My Little Delinquent Ponies access to the cheerios locker room?"

They turned to see Sue Sylvester standing there smirking, with her arms crossed. Quinn and Puck both flinched. Rachel just looked wary. Her aunt had a certain mischievous glint in her eyes. She watched them carefully for a moment before turning to Rachel.

"I need the keys back, short stack, your privileges are being rescinded."

Rachel frowned, "That wasn't part of the agreement."

Quinn and Puck glanced back and forth between them.

Sue raised an eyebrow, "There are two weeks left before school starts and Bigfoot has convinced Figgins she needs access to the field. You and Puckerman are done for the summer."

Puck looked confused, "Bigfoot?"

Sue glared at him, "Your pathetic team's pathetic new coach. I'm beginning to regret allowing you access to the field."

Quinn frowned, "You allowed them access to the field?"

Sue turned her narrowed eyes onto Quinn, "Of course. Do you think anyone is allowed to step foot onto this field without Sue Sylvester's knowledge? It took a little blackmail, but Berry convinced me to allow her and Puckerman some practice time."

Quinn and Puck both stared at Rachel. Quinn looked worried. Puck looked awed.

The coach continued, "But I don't recall any mention of Fabray in the agreement and, Q, you never asked my permission to stay after practice. What exactly are you doing here?"

Quinn's face paled a little bit before she plastered a confident look on her face and Rachel's stomach twisted. Normally, she didn't doubt Quinn's ability to face off with Sue Sylvester, but this time Sue was privy to information Quinn was unaware of. Rachel winced. She should've known her aunt would do something like this, prod Quinn about their relationship to see how she reacted.

Quinn stood up a little taller, "I was watching them practice. I wanted to make sure they didn't break anything."

"You thought they were illegally using my field and you didn't tell me."

"I didn't want to bother you. I knew I could handle it."

"I'm going to stop you right there, Q. I can already smell the lies pooling on the end of your tongue. I'm disappointed in you, Q, I expect better than that. Why are you here?"

"I was watching them play. That's the truth."

"What were you yelling at them about? You seemed awfully mad. I thought you were going to kill Puckerman and you know how much I dislike cleaning blood off of my field. It looked to me like he and Berry were a little to close for your comfort."

Quinn clenched her jaw shut and didn't say a word.

Rachel stepped forward, "Coach Sylvester."

"Quiet, Berry, this is between Fabray and I."

Rachel nodded stiffly. She appreciated her concern, but she really didn't want her to attack Quinn.

Sue turned back to Quinn, "Are you and Puckerman doing the horizontal tango again? You can't stand to see his meaty paws all over Berry?"

"No!"

"No? Well if you're not dating Puckerman, you must be dating Berry, because Sue Sylvester can smell jealousy from ten miles away, fifteen if there's a strong wind. Are you dating Berry, Q? Is one of my cheerleaders dating one of the mouth breathers from Glee club?"

Rachel held her breath. Quinn's entire body was tense and Rachel could see the panic in her eyes.

Quinn's voice was quiet. "Yes."

"What's that Q? I'm afraid I didn't hear you."

Quinn squared her shoulders, "I said yes, I'm dating Rachel Berry. And she's not a mouth breather."

Rachel really, really wanted to kiss Quinn right now. Sue glanced at her and she raised her eyebrow as if to say "I told you so."

Sue uncrossed her arms, "Good to know, Q. I'll keep that in mind when I pick out the captain. You'd better not let any of your lesbian drama affect the team. It's bad enough trying to keep S and B from desecrating the showers. Do we understand each other?"

Quinn nodded. She looked a little queasy.

Sue looked at Rachel, "I'll need the key back by tomorrow afternoon. I'm leaving now, I'm tired of looking at Puckerman's face."

Rachel, Quinn, and Puck just stood there.

Then Puck threw his helmet to the ground, "Shit!"

"Noah, it's going to be okay."

Rachel hesitated and then took a step towards her shell shocked girlfriend, "Quinn."

Quinn held up her hand, "Don't. Just don't."

It hurt a little, but Rachel nodded. Quinn looked at her and Rachel could see a mix of confusion and fear in her eyes.

"I need some space. I need to go."

"Quinn.."

"I'll talk to you later.

She walked quickly away. Rachel frowned. Then she turned to look at Noah who was squatting on the ground with his head in his hands.

She squatted down next to him, "It's okay, Noah."

"No it's not Superstar. What are we going to do?"

"Hey, look at me. It's only two weeks and then we'll be back to kicking ass together on the field, but it will be for real this time. We could use two weeks to rest. We can still go running, but I'm sure our bodies could use a break. We've already practiced ten times more than anyone else has."

Puck sighed, "But this is our thing. This is what we can do when things go to shit."

"And it still will be. We can do other bro stuff too, Noah. Maybe we can plan out some mischief for when school starts. We could go to the arcade again. And when you really need to release some aggression, I have a full assortment of violent fighting games at my house."

Puck gave her a half smile, "Can we do something tomorrow? Maybe go karts?"

"As long as we don't use them as bumper cars."

"Okay." He frowned. "Where's baby mama?"

Rachel sighed, "She needed space."

"Can't say that I blame her. I'm actually kind of impressed she stood up to Sylvester."

Rachel bit her lip, "I guess."

Puck stood up and offered her his hand, "Come on, we have one practice left. I say we tear the shit out of this field and then I'll take you home."

Rachel smiled, "Okay."

As Puck drove her home, Rachel sent Quinn a text.

**Rachel: I'm here when you're ready, okay?**

Rachel made sure to act completely normal at dinner even as she was internally fretting about Quinn. She knew her dad was worried about her ever since Quinn had showed up for breakfast. She was glad they didn't ask her any questions. Rachel knew she was going to have to tell them soon, but not yet. As soon as dinner was done, she went upstairs so she could look through some music and worry about Quinn.

Some time later, there was a knock at her door.

"Enter."

The door open and closed quietly and Rachel looked up to see Quinn standing in her room her hands clasped together. She looked a little sad and a little guilty. Her eyes flicked around Rachel's room taking everything in. Then they landed on Rachel. Rachel stood up and walked over to her. Quinn wasted no time in throwing her arms around Rachel and pulling her close. She returned the embrace. Quinn buried her face in Rachel's neck and her hands clutched at the back of Rachel's shirt. The brunette ran her fingers through Quinn's hair. The sensation of Quinn's body pressed so tightly against her own made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Her breath hitched when Quinn spoke into her neck.

"I don't like that Puck saw you practically naked. I trust you, but I don't like it."

"I can respect that."

There was silence for a few beats.

"I was scared. I'm so sorry."

Rachel squeezed her, "It's okay. Thank you for standing up for me, and for yourself. That was incredibly brave."

Quinn leaned back and looked into Rachel's eyes, "I said I would. I just panicked at the end because she's like God at that school sometimes and she could do anything."

"That's understandable. There's nothing like coming out to your antagonistic coach less than a month after you realized you were a lesbian or bisexual. If it's any consolation, I don't think she's going to do anything."

Quinn chuckled, "Yeah, nothing quite like it. And you never know. So what did you and Puck do after I left?"

Rachel hummed, "Well, we talked about what we were going to do now that we can't practice on the field. We've decided to just take a break. And we set up another bro date for tomorrow night."

Quinn raised an eyebrow, "Bro date?"

"Yes, Quinn. Noah and I are having a bromance, thus we go on bro dates."

Quinn scowled, "So you're going out on a date with Puckerman tomorrow night?"

"A bro date. And yes."

"Why have you already planned a 'bro' date with Puck, but we've been dating for like six days and you haven't asked me out once?"

Rachel bit her lip, "I didn't know if you were ready."

Quinn frowned, "Oh."

Rachel reached up and smoothed the crease in Quinn's forehead.

"I'm letting you set the pace here, okay? Besides, technically, you asked me to be your girlfriend which means that you have to ask me on the first date."

Quinn smirked, "Oh yeah?"

"Yes, Quinn. Those are the rules."

Quinn smiled, "Hey Rachel, do you want to go on a date with me Thursday night?"

Rachel stepped out of Quinn's embrace causing her to frown. "Let me check my calendar."

"Seriously?"

"Of course, Quinn. I have a very busy schedule." Rachel grabbed her dinosaur calendar. "Thursday sounds absolutely wonderful."

"Great. Wait a minute, why do those dinosaurs look like you and Puck? Did you make the two of you matching calendars?"

"We spend too much time together not to have matching calendars."

Quinn looked affronted, "But I'm your girlfriend and I don't have one."

Rachel quirked her eyebrow, "Are you telling me that you want matching couple calendars?"

Quinn blushed slightly and crossed her arms over her chest, "Yes but only because you and Puckerman have one."

Rachel smirked, "Of course, Quinn. Whatever you say. Do you have any requests?"

"Something cooler than Puckerman's."

Rachel reached out and grabbed Quinn's hand, swinging it lightly, "That can be arranged."

Quinn's lips quirked, "So, Thursday night?"

"Thursday night."

Quinn squeezed her hand, "I have to go. I'll see you then." She dropped Rachel's hand and headed for the door.

"Do you want your calendar to be ready by then?"

Quinn paused in the open door. She turned around with a raised eyebrow, "If you don't have it, I'm not going to let you into my car."

Rachel smiled, "Good night, Quinn."

"Good night, Rachel."


	12. Chapter 12

On Wednesday, Puck picked Rachel up at 8 o'clock for their bro date. Quinn had made sure to text Rachel at least three times to remind her to be safe and not do anything stupid. The brunette didn't doubt for a second that she had sent at least three times that many threatening texts to Puck. Really, Quinn should be more careful; if something ever happened to Puck, she would be the prime suspect, and Rachel didn't think she could live without her girlfriend and her bro.

Lima didn't have a go kart track. It had a go kart track/mini golf course/kiddie arcade. Luckily, since it was so late at night, almost all of the little kids were gone and that left mostly middle schoolers. Even their numbers were dwindling because summer was ending and the place closed at ten.

They each paid for their own tickets and headed to the go kart track.

"Noah, do you realize I haven't done this since my ninth birthday. Remember how we accidentally made my dad crash into the mini golf course?"

"That was epic. And why not? You love go karts as much as I do."

Rachel shrugged, "I didn't have my best friend to do it with me anymore."

He frowned and then turned to her with a dangerous smile, "Well, I think we'd better get going since we have 7 years to make up for. Driving a go kart is just like riding a bicycle—as soon as your ass hits the seat, your feet remember what to do."

He was right. As soon as Rachel climbed in it was like they were nine again, minus the sparkly pink tiara. There were other riders on the course, but as far as Rachel and Puck were concerned, it was between them and no one else. They zipped around the other drivers like they were just cones in an obstacle course. Puck won the first time and the second. The third time Rachel may have gently nudge him just enough that he swerved and she claimed victory. They received a small talking to from the track supervisor about safety. The fourth time, Puck won the race but Rachel discovered drifting and she won all of the badass points. By the fifth time, most of the other drivers had decided it was safer to just sit it out as Rachel and Noah got more aggressive. Despite the fact that she had told him they shouldn't use them as bumper cars, they did. A lot. They were both too competitive not to. After the seventh race, when they accidentally ran a twelve year old off into hay bales, the track supervisor told them to go cool off.

Rachel huffed as they went into the arcade. "It wasn't our fault!"

"I know, right? Everyone else knew to get off of the track."

"Utterly ridiculous! We paid good money to have unlimited access to that track!"

Puck looked around and wrinkled his nose, "Man, this place used to be so much cooler when we were younger."

Rachel looked around. While there were a lot of games, most of them seemed to be geared to the twelve and younger crowd. All of the games were designed to spit out tickets based on the number of points earned. Tickets could be traded in for an assortment of chintzy toys and candy kept behind the prize counter. The only thing she and Puck would probably enjoy was skee ball because they could challenge each other. The air hockey table was being dominated by a pack of eleven year olds. There were a couple of lame looking fighting games and one shooter. They did not look appealing. Rachel was certain there was no blood or guts, which, in her opinion, was part of the reason why those games were so fun in the first place. She was just about to suggest they go somewhere else when Puck tucked on her arm. She turned to find him staring at something slack jawed, his eyes shining.

"Noah?"

He slowly raised his arm and pointed. She followed is gaze and her eyes widened and she gasped.

"Are those…?"

"Hell yeah!"

Behind the prize counter, along with the animal shaped erasers, candy, and cheap toys that wouldn't last a day, were two Styrofoam swords. Rachel and Puck looked at each other before practically running to the counter where a middle aged man was flipping through a magazine and sipping on a fountain drink. He jumped when Puck slapped his hands on the counter.

"How much for the swords?"

He rolled his eyes, "Read the sign, buddy."

Rachel huffed, "5,000 tickets? We don't care about tickets. How much money does it cost?"

The man eyed them warily, "You can't buy them with money. You buy them with tickets."

"Dude! We're willing to pay cold hard cash!"

"And you'll shell out a lot more cash when you try to win all of those tickets. I'd say it'll cost you at least fifty bucks."

Rachel stomped her foot, "This is absolutely outrageous! I—"

"Listen, sweetheart, that's the way it works. Get over it or get out."

Rachel's fists were twitching and Puck put a hand on her shoulder.

"Come one, Superstar. We'll show this asshole."

Rachel nodded stiffly and allowed him to drag her over to the token machine.

"We need a plan, Noah. We need to figure out which games give out the most tickets."

"I'm on it. Here, get us twenty bucks worth to start out."

They figured out that if they scored the bull's eye, or the tricky ones in the upper corners, the skee ball machine would spit out at least ten tickets. There was also a game of chance that involved dropping the going down a ramp and hitting a target. Rachel studied it for fifteen minutes and was able to determine the correct timing. She stayed there while Puck had the skee ball machine lighting up. They ended up spending a total of thirty dollars and forty five minutes winning enough tickets to purchase them each a sword. They dropped their tickets in front of them man with triumphant smirks. He just rolled his eyes and handed them the swords.

Puck and Rachel left the arcade with smug smiles.

"This is so freakin awesome!"

Rachel smiled, "Best thirty dollars I ever spent. Who does he think he is calling me sweetheart."

Puck smirked, "Totally. And now we can have epic sword fights again."

Rachel nodded, "Do you think they'll let us back on the go karts yet?"

"Probably. Douche bags shouldn't have kicked us off in the first place. Hey, maybe we should challenge them to a duel with our kick ass swords."

Rachel stopped abruptly, placing her hand on his arm, "Noah, I may have just had the best idea I've ever had in the history of our entire friendship, but there's a problem."

"What is it? What's the problem?"

"Well, we might get banned from the track and Quinn might murder us."

Puck pouted, "Come on, you have to tell me now."

Rachel bit her lip, "You know in action movies they have those car chases and these people are having long drawn out gun fights?"

"Yeah."

"We should do that, but instead have a sword fight."

Puck stared at her, "If you weren't my bro I would marry you right now."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "We can't do it though."

"We have to do it!"

"Noah…"

Puck got down on his knees, "Please, please, pretty please?"

Rachel pinched the bridge of her nose, "They wouldn't even let us take the swords on the go kart with us."

"You cause a distraction and then I'll slip them in."

"But I promised Quinn I wouldn't do anything stupid."

Puck jumped up, "Babe, it's not stupid. It's freakin brilliant."

"Fine. I'll go over there and start crying. You stash the swords."

Rachel sobbed about her lost necklace, her absolute most precious possession in the world, while Puck scoped out two go karts and stashed the swords. Rachel saw him make a cutting motion towards some kid who looked like he was going to say something. The kid scrambled off. Actually, as soon as the other people saw Rachel and Noah they scrambled away. Puck gave her the thumbs up and Rachel stopped crying. The supervisor told them they'd better behave. They both nodded, their fingers crossed behind their backs.

When they got into their respective vehicles, red and green of course, Puck sent Rachel a smirk. Rachel winked at him. They revved their engines and the light changed. They went around once driving perfectly safe. They second lap they exchanged a glance. Puck was on the inside lane and Rachel was thankful she was ambidextrous enough to wield the sword with her left hand. As soon as they crossed the starting mark, they pulled out their swords. The supervisor started yelling. Puck jerked his kart close to hers and swung. They went back and forth, swerving and swinging. The supervisor tried to step in front of them and they separated long enough to go around him before they clashed again. They went at it until their karts got stuck together and they spun into a hay bale. They got out and raise their swords victoriously.

Their pictures were taken and they were escorted out and told never to come back. Ever. They laughed the whole way.

"I've told you that you were the best bro ever, right?"

Rachel laughed, "Multiple time, Noah, multiple times."

Puck's stomach grumbled, "God, I'm so hungry. That battle sure worked up my appetite."

"So stop at a fast food place. That's about the only thing besides a bar that would be open."

"Yeah, but they don't have any of your vegan shit."

"It's not shit, and it's okay, I'll be fine."

Puck shook his head, "I eat, you eat. Hey, are chips and salsa considered vegan?"

"Yes, but that doesn't sound like a meal."

"You'll want to make a meal out of these babies," Puck glanced at her, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes, I do."

They ended up a rowdy country bar. Puck slipped the bouncer a twenty and he let them in. The only reason Rachel didn't refuse to go in and give him a lecture about acting like a delinquent was the she told him she'd trust him. And she had just gotten them banned for life from the fun park. They ended up at the bar with a couple of cokes and the absolute best chips and salsa that Rachel had ever tasted. The bartender kept giving them weird glances, but she couldn't blame him. Her argyle sweater and Puck's Mohawk didn't exactly fit in a place with all country karaoke and a mechanical bull.

"Noah, do I want to know how you found this place?"

He shrugged, "There was this cowgirl I was checking out. It turns out she was married. I almost got a cowboy boot rammed up my ass."

Rachel made sure she caught his eyes, "You're better than that."

His smile faltered for a second, "Not yet, but I think I'm getting there."

Rachel smirked, "You'd better get there a little faster or I'll have to start dragging you along by your mowhawk."

"Hey, no messin with the hawk. And don't worry, I'm moving."

"You're going to find an amazing girl someday."

He smiled at her, "I believe you. Speaking of amazing girls, how are things going with you and baby mama?"

Rachel blushed, "Amazing, I think, considering everything."

"So, have you rounded 2nd yet?"

Rachel slapped his arm, "Noah!"

He held up his hands, "Hey, you know how far I've gone with her. It's only fair."

Rachel rolled her eyes and then sighed, "The entire town knows how far you've gone with her…. We've only kissed that once."

"What the hell? But at practice she was all touchy feely. There were a couple of times I thought she was going to mount you on the field."

She shrugged, "I know, but when we're alone it's like she's afraid to touch me."

Puck frowned, "Maybe she's just intimidated by how much of a badass you are."

"Maybe."

"She does pay attention to you, right? She treats you well, beside the whole not kissing you thing?"

Rachel nodded, "You saw her stand up to Coach Sylvester. She's been wonderful. She even asked me to make her a calendar and we're going on a date tomorrow."

"No shit? Where are you doing? And what kind of calendar are you going to make her?"

"I have no idea. She won't tell me. And she said her calendar had to be cooler than your dinosaur one."

Puck snorted, "Jealous much? What's it going to be?"

Rachel leaned over and whispered it in his ear.

He pouted, "Not freakin fair, Superstar, not fair at all."

Rachel rolled her eyes, "You didn't even want one to begin with if I recall correctly."

"Well, yeah, but now I think it's awesome. It's useful. Hudson was a total idiot not to see that. It really helped to keep track of all of our practices."

"I am very aware of that. Speaking of practices, what do you think about the football team getting a new coach?"

"I think it'll be good. Anybody has to be better than Tanaka."

"Coach Sylvester mentioned it was a woman, when I gave her the keys."

"No shit? Well good. I think we can definitely get her to let you try out the team then. As long as she's a good coach, that's all that matters."

Rachel hummed, "I have to hope that the only thing she'll be wary of is my small size."

Puck nodded, "Yeah, but there are plenty of short or small football players. Look at Barry Sanders or Dante Hall. And that was in the NFL, this is high school. Besides, you're tougher than at least half of the team already and hopefully Coach… what did Sylvester say? Bigfoot? Hopefully Coach Bigfoot or whatever will see that."

Rachel was about to respond when a voice came from behind them.

"It's Beiste."

Rachel and Puck turned around to find a woman built like a linebacker with a cowboy hat on her head and an empty mug in her hand.

Rachel licked her lips, "Excuse me?"

"The name is Beiste. Not Bigfoot."

Puck blinked, "Are you…?"

"Are you two high schoolers in a 21 and over bar?"

Rachel gave her a small smile, "They have excellent salsa."

The coach looked at her, "So, did I hear that you wanted to try out for the football team? Why would I want two kids who sneak into bars to play for me?"

Puck spoke up, "It was just for the salsa. And she does want to play. Chick can run and she has a mean tackle."

"And you are?"

"Noah Puckerman. Your wide receiver."

Beiste grunted, "We'll see about that." She turned back to Rachel. "Football isn't an easy sport. Even if I let you try out, there are boys that have been playing a lot longer than you have."

Rachel nodded, "I understand, which is why Noah and I have been practicing all summer."

Beiste looked at her and then glanced at Puck, "This isn't about a boy is it?"

Rachel huffed, "I can assure you that this has nothing to do with any romantic entanglements. I was helping Noah practice so that he could improve to get a scholarship. We both think I'm good enough that I could help the team win and further his chances. He's like a brother to me and I would do anything for him. I've also come to greatly enjoy the sport. I only ask that I be given the chance to try out like anybody else."

Beiste nodded, "I think I can do that. We need all of the talent we can get. And this better not be some joke, I've already had it up to here with that cheerleading coach and I haven't even met the woman yet."

Rachel bit her lip and Puck nodded.

She continued, "I finally got the keys to the locker rooms and the storage shed. I know you guys normally have try outs after school starts, but I wanted to have one the week before school starts too. Give the kids who really want a spot a chance to show me what they've got. I'm going to contact all the players from last year's roster and I've put a flyer up in the local sports store. You two can show up that one to let me see what you've got."

Rachel nodded furiously, "Thank you."

Puck smirked, "You won't regret it."

Beiste nodded, "Now get of here. If I see you back here again, I'm going to change my mind."

They scrambled out of the bar.

Puck dropped Rachel off at 11.

"We are so going to kill that tryout and turn that place upside down."

"Of course. We're Superstar and Puckasaurus."

"And we're damn fine looking Jews."

Rachel laughed, "Because that makes a difference. Good night, Noah."

"Later babe."

Rachel went to bed that night excited about the tryout but even more excited about her upcoming date with Quinn. She overlooked the fact that Quinn might kill her when she found out about the sword fight.

**Rachel: Bro date was a success. No injuries. I'm really excited about our date tomorrow. Good night, Quinn.**

**Quinn: You're back really late.**

**Rachel: I didn't think you'd still be awake. We stayed at the go karts until they threw us out. Then we had a bite to eat.**

**Quinn: I couldn't sleep without my good night texts. And you two are dorks.**

**Rachel: Well, I'll make sure I don't wait so long next time.**

**Quinn: You'd better not. Good night, Rachel.**

**Rachel: Sweet dreams.**


	13. Chapter 13

On Thursday morning, Rachel woke up before her alarm went off at 6 a.m. Her whole body was vibrating with excitement. She couldn't wait for her date with Quinn. As Rachel worked out on her elliptical, she allowed herself to wonder about their upcoming evening together. She really didn't know what to expect. Would they go out somewhere where people would recognize them? Because even though it would probably just look like two friends going out, most of Lima knew that Quinn Fabray was not friends with Rachel Berry. They did not just hang out. Especially since apparently Rachel was Puck's sex slave. Maybe Quinn would set up something small and private, like a picnic in a concealed location or something like that. Rachel wouldn't mind. A date with Quinn was a date with Quinn and Rachel hoped to God that there would be a good night kiss at the end.

Rachel went down to breakfast with a goofy smile on his face. She really couldn't help it. She was surprised to see both of her fathers at the breakfast table but realized her dad must have convinced her daddy to take the morning off. She greeted them both cheerfully before sitting down at pulling out her phone.

**Rachel: Good morning, Quinn. Today is the day.**

She set her phone down and dug into her breakfast. After a few moments she become aware of the fact that the room was silent and she looked up to find her fathers looking at her curiously. Elias was leaned back in his chair studying her as if she were a criminal. Hiram had an eyebrow raised and his head was tilted to the side.

Rachel internally panicked. Had they found out about the go kart track? How did they find out so quickly? She was fairly sure they hadn't filled out a police report. Rachel planned to tell them after her date with Quinn so she didn't run the risk of them grounding her. Oh God, she still had to tell Quinn about what really happened on her bro date. Maybe Quinn wouldn't ask. Was it lying if she conveniently forgot to tell her?

Rachel shook her head slightly and plastered a smile on her face. "Can I help you with something?"

Hiram smiled. "You're just awfully chipper this morning."

"Well, it is a rather beautiful morning."

Hiram and Elias exchanged a glance.

Elias crossed his arms. "What did you and Noah do?"

Rachel huffed, "Daddy, I have—"

"Rachel."

She sighed, "We may have gotten banned from the go kart track."

Hiram gasped, "What?"

"We didn't do anything illegal! And technically, the rules didn't specifically state that we couldn't have a sword fight while driving. If anything, we should sue—"

"Rachel," her dad hissed, scandalized.

Rachel pouted. She could tell he was working himself up to a rant. But then Elias started laughing.

"Like in one of those action movies?"

Rachel smiled in relief, "Exactly! It was so amazing, Daddy. We were swerving—"

Hiram slapped his hands on the table, "You're both insane. Elias, don't encourage her. And you, miss, if they hadn't banned you, I would have."

Rachel pouted slightly and went to go back to her breakfast when her daddy cleared his throat.

"What else did you do? You weren't home until after eleven."

Rachel folded both of her hands in her lap and looked carefully at each of them.

"You have to promise to listen to the whole story. No interruptions or gasps of indignation, please."

Hiram narrowed his eyes but acquiesced. Elias nodded.

"We went to a bar. But! only because it was the only place open with vegan food choices. We didn't drink at all, but there was this salsa that was absolutely to die for. In fact—" Rachel noticed Elias raise is eyebrow. "I digress. We ate food and we actually met the new football coach. She's agreed to let me try out next week. Isn't that exciting?"

Rachel bounced up and down in her seat and clapped her hands.

Hiram pinched the bridge of his nose but Elias gave her an amused smile.

"That's awesome, Rachel, but you shouldn't have been at the bar."

"I know, I know, but now I get to try out!"

"Do you think you're ready? Do you know what position you're going to try out for? I know you can't be quarterback, but what about a running back?"

"Well—"

Hiram cut her off, "No! We are not going to ignore the fact that she got banned from the track and that she snuck into a bar! Try out? Woohoo, my pumpkin gets to voluntarily be crushed by a bunch of stupid boys. I think some one needs to be grounded."

Rachel gasped, "Dad! You can't! Daddy, you can't let him!"

Hiram pursed his lips, "Your father does not 'let' me do anything, missy. And why exactly shouldn't I ground you?"

Rachel's eyes genuinely began to water, "Because I have a date tonight!"

Her fathers frowned and exchanged a glance.

Elias leaned forward. "Rachel, you haven't mentioned that you were seeing anyone. Young lady, you know we don't keep secrets like that in this house. Who is it? The only people I know that you've seen lately are Noah and Quinn."

Rachel sighed, "The only reason I haven't mentioned anything before is because I was irritated with you for keeping a secret from me."

Hiram frowned, "What secret is that?"

"That I'm a lesbian."

Elias laughed and Hiram looked exasperated.

"Rachel, that's not something that as parents you just tell your child. You had to figure it out on your own. When did you figure it out?"

Rachel crossed her arms, "Noah helped me earlier this summer."

Her fathers faces scrunched up and Rachel's eyes widened.

"Eww! Not like that! We just talked. It was that night we slept in the tree house."

"Rachel Barbra Berry, you knew all summer long and you let your father and I worry that you might bring home another ridiculous boy?"

"You deserved it."

Elias tapped the table, getting their attention. "So who are you going on a date with?"

Rachel felt the giddy smile spread across her face again, "Quinn."

Her dad gasped and her daddy looked impressed.

"How long have you two been dating? Oh my goodness, was the other morning one of your first lovers' quarrels?"

Rachel blushed, "Actually, we didn't get together until after our 'lovers quarrel' as you put it. Tonight will be our first official date."

"Aww. Elias, out pumpkin is going to have her first lady date."

"Dad!"

Elias chuckled, "And a cheerleader too. Our daughter must be a little stud."

Rachel buried her face in her arms and groaned.

Her phone went off.

"Ooo, is that Miss Fabray? You'd better check."

It was.

**Quinn: Good morning, and it is. I'll pick you up at 6, okay?**

**Rachel: Okay. But I feel I should warn you that my dads know and they might do something embarrassing.**

**Quinn: Wait. You mean you didn't tell them before? I thought you told your dads everything?**

Rachel could practically see the frown on Quinn's face.

**Rachel: I was being petty. Dad withheld a piece of vital information from me, so I was doing the same. It had nothing to do with my feelings for or my faith in you.**

**Quinn: Okay. The big one's a cop, right? He won't have a gun will he?**

**Rachel: I make no promises.**

**Quinn: Rachel!**

**Rachel: I would never let anyone hurt you. Never.**

**Quinn: Yeah, well, you'd better have that calendar ready.**

**Rachel: Of course. I'll see you at 6.**

**Quinn: At 6.**

Rachel looked up from the phone to see her fathers smiling softly at her.

"She's picking me up at 6."

Hiram rolled his eyes playfully, "I guess I won't ground you, then. But no more bars. Now, what outfit do you have picked out? Is everything ready?"

Rachel's face paled, "Oh God. I don't have anything to wear!"

Rachel never completely understood why people asked if she missed having a mother. She had never had one in the first place, so there was nothing to miss. Between her fathers and her Aunt Sue, she had everything she needed—except for a source of fashion advice. The three primary role models in her life spent most of their lives in uniforms. Her daddy wore his jersey all through high school and then traded it in for a police uniform. Hiram had never dressed like a normal human being. In college his wardrobe turned to scrubs, lab coats, and the occasional suit. And Sue, Sue had gone from cheerleading uniform to the uniform of a Marine, and then to the track suits that she was known for. They let little Rachel pick out whatever she wanted and it wasn't always a good thing. Rachel loved her sweaters and her argyle. It was comfortable, slightly dressy, and functional. But, she wanted to look absolutely spectacular for her date with Quinn.

It was at times like this that she really wished her fathers were stereotypical gay men or that she and Kurt were actually friends. They did have a lot in common, if only they could get past their petty differences. Kurt would know exactly how to dress her in order to get that pretty blush to appear on Quinn's face. She wanted to look so good that Quinn would have no other choice but to kiss her.

After going through her closet three time she sent a text to Puck.

**Rachel: What do I wear?**

**Puck:….clothes?**

**Rachel: For my date!**

**Puck: I'm your bro, Superstar, not your chick friend.**

**Rachel: Just tell me what would look hot.**

**Puck: You and Fabray on a date. Seriously, it doesn't matter what I think looks hot. It matters what baby mama thinks.**

**Rachel: Which is?**

**Puck: Jesus. Just think about all the times when Fabray was up in your business.**

**Rachel: Noah Puckerman! I cannot wear sweaty workout clothes or a football uniform on my first date.**

**Puck: Think about it. Fabray has a thing for butch Rachel.**

**Rachel: I am not butch!**

**Puck: Babe, I'm just saying Fabray seems to get a little hot under the collar when you wear the pants in the relationship.**

**Rachel:…I hate that I must admit you're right.**

**Puck: Knock her dead, Superstar. I expect details.**

At a quarter to six, Rachel was pacing in her living room while her dad looked on amused and her daddy stood watch by the door. Rachel had opted for a pair of black skinny jeans, a simple pink blouse, and a light black jacket. Quinn hadn't specified whether or not she should dress up and Rachel had tried to pick something that could go either way.

By 5:55 Rachel was trying not to destroy the calendar in her hands out of anxiety.

At promptly 6 o'clock, there was a knock on her front door. Her dad kept her still while her daddy answered it. They heard voices murmuring and then, finally, her daddy called out to her.

"Rachel, your date's here."

Rachel took one last shaky breath and walked out to the door.

Quinn was standing next to Elias looking incredibly nervous. She was beautiful. Her hair was down and she was wearing a simple yellow dress and a white cardigan. When she looked up at Rachel, her eyes darkened and a very faint blush spread across her cheeks. It made Rachel gulp.

"H-Hello, Quinn."

Quinn smirked lightly and then she ducked her head before holding out her hand.

"This is for you."

Rachel took a step forward. There, in the palm of Quinn's hand, was a dusty pink rose. Not the stem, just the blossom. It was almost as if she had been too scared to bring flowers, but wanted to bring Rachel something. The brunette smiled broadly and took the flower out of her hand, her fingers lightly grazing Quinn's palm.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," Quinn murmured softly.

Elias cleared his throat and they both jumped slightly.

He smiled. "You two had better get going. Remember Quinn, have her back before 11. I'd hate to have to send out a patrol car to find you."

"Daddy," Rachel hissed.

Quinn just stood a little taller and smiled confidently, "Yes, sir."

Hiram took the rose from Rachel, "Both of you'd better be safe and have a nice night."

They both nodded and he ushered them out of the door.

"You look very beautiful, Quinn. I hope Daddy didn't scare you."

Quinn smiled softly, "You do too. And he was fine. a lot better than I imagined. I expected more threats and maybe a shot gun."

"Daddy is an excellent judge of character and I think he was impressed by the was you so thoroughly interrogated him about my whereabouts when I was off practicing with Noah."

Quinn smirked, "Hey, no one was going to come between me and finding out where my Rachel was."

Rachel's stomach fluttered and she bit her lip, "Except that he successfully resisted your questioning."

Quinn scowled as they stopped in front of her care, "He's a police officer. It wasn't fair."

Rachel chuckled before quirking her eyebrow, "Whatever you say. Are you going to let me in your car?"

Quinn's lips quirked before she put her hands firmly on her hips. "I believe I told you that you wouldn't be allowed in unless I was given my calendar."

Rachel patted the calendar tucked underneath her arm. "It's right here. I'll give it to you after we're safely inside. I'd hate for you to just be using me for my superior organizational skills. You might just drive off once you have it."

Quinn rolled her eyes and unlocked the car. "Darn it. You've foiled my nefarious plot."

Rachel slid into the passenger seat. "That's me: Rachel Berry, Nefarious Plot Foiler since 2005."

Quinn wrinkled her nose, "Only since 2005? What were you before then?"

Rachel winked, "Nefarious Plot Developer, of course."

Quinn laughed and Rachel handed her the calendar. Quinn looked over the calendar and then quirked her eyebrow.

"Power Rangers, Rachel?"

"You said it had to be cooler than Noah's. And when I told him what I was making you, he got jealous."

"Yeah?"

"Most definitely."

"So, I'm the pink one. Hm. I thought the green one was a boy?"

"It doesn't matter. The Green Ranger was the best and Rachel Berry is always the best."

Quinn chuckled, "Isn't the White Ranger technically the best?"

Rachel pouted, "Quinn, the Green Ranger has a dagger flute. A dagger flute!"

"He was also, technically, evil."

Rachel gasped, "He was not. He merely got caught up in the wrong crowd. And, he switched sides so he could be with the Pink Ranger."

Quinn grabbed Rachel's hand lightly and smirked, "You really are a dork, aren't you? Are you ready to go?"

"Of course. Are you ready to go?"

Quinn paused and Rachel could see the worry in her eyes. She squeezed her hand. Quinn squeezed back.

"Of course I'm ready."

Rachel nodded and Quinn let go of her hand and started the car. They drove in comfortable silence until Rachel let the curiosity get the better of her.

"So, where are we going?"

"Breadstix."

Rachel couldn't help the look of disappointment that flashed briefly across her face, but she covered it up quickly.

"That sounds lovely."

"I saw that look. What's wrong? Is it not good enough because—"

"Quinn, it's fine."

"Rachel…" Quinn's voice was stern.

"Fine. It's just that they have a terrible vegan selection and I've never been impressed with their salad."

She glanced at Quinn, expecting to see a frown, but instead there was a pleased smirk.

"I guess it's a good thing I called ahead and made a special request."

Rachel gasped, "You can do that? You did that for me?"

Quinn shrugged, "Technically, you can't, but Santana practically owns the place since she eats there so often. I asked her to do me a favor."

Rachel raised her eyebrows, "Santana Lopez helped you get the chefs to cook a special meal for Treasure Trail?"

Quinn fidgeted slightly.

Rachel frowned, "She doesn't know."

"It's not like that, Rachel. I just wanted this to be between us tonight. I promised Santana I'd tell her everything after the date was over. I just wanted to have our date first. I mean, what if I blow it? Or you decide you don't want to be out with someone who isn't ready to hold your hand in public?"

Rachel slowly reached over and put her hand on Quinn's thigh. "It's okay, Quinn. I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I accepted this relationship. We don't have to do this. I understand if you're not read. A lot of people we know go to Breadstix frequently and one of them could see us. They'll be bound to ask questions. The fact that you showed up to my door with a flower in your hand means more to me than you could ever know."

"I should have brought a whole bouquet."

"Quinn. It was beautiful. And there's no need to rush. We can go back to my house and watch a movie or something. We don't have to go."

Quinn shook her head, "We do, Rachel. I'm not going to hide you away like some dirty little secret. I'm not ashamed of you and I can't be ashamed of me."

"Quinn."

"We're going. I promised myself I didn't get to kiss you again until I took you out on a real date. If I can't do that, I don't deserve to kiss you."

Rachel bit her lip, "Well, then, what are you driving so slow for? We should be halfway done with our meal by now."

Quinn smirked, "You want a kiss that bad, huh?"

Rachel hummed, "I don't know. Maybe I'll decide I don't kiss on the first date."

Quinn scoffed, "Sure, Berry, we both know you can't get enough of me."

Rachel smirked, "Actually, Fabray, I think it's the other way around. After all, you were the one who stalked me for almost a week."

Quinn snapped her jaw shut and scowled at the road. Rachel laughed.

Thankfully, no one they knew was at the restaurant. Quinn looked slightly apprehensive and Rachel wanted to reach out and grab her hand, but she didn't.

"Relax," She murmured. "As far as they knew, we're just two friends."

Quinn took a breath and released it slowly before smiling.

"I know, but we're not. Our waiter better not flirt with you. I might have to hurt him and stiff him on the tip."

Rachel chuckled, "Out of the two of us, he'd be more likely to flirt with you. Besides, we could get an old woman."

Quinn's eyes flashed, "Well, she'd better not flirt with you either."

Rachel bit her lip, "I feel it is my duty to inform you that I find it incredibly appealing when you're possessive. Even if I don't approve of you hurting my bro."

Quinn blushed and glanced around before leaning forward slightly, "I'll keep that in mind." She leaned back. "Speaking of Puckerman, what did you guys do last night? Did you just ride go karts until 10 o'clock and then go eat?"

Rachel fidgeted, "We did the arcade too. We left at 9:30 and over our late dinner we met the new football coach. She said I could try out."

Quinn frowned slightly and then smiled, "I'm happy for you. I know how much you really want to do that. I still don't like it, but I'm going to support you."

"Thank you, Quinn. You're the best." Rachel looked around. "The waiter sure is taking a long time to get here."

"I know and they don't seem to be that busy. Hey, Rachel, did you say you left the track at 9:30? Because I thought it closed at 10."

Rachel nodded.

Quinn raised an eyebrow, "But last night you said you stayed until they threw you out."

Rachel looked down, "Well, you see, I—"

"Rachel Berry! You promised not to do anything stupid!"

"I didn't! It was brilliant! They just didn't agree with us."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "Is there anything else you didn't tell me?"

Rachel sighed, "We went to the bar for dinner."

"What? I'm going to kill—"

"Quinn! We just ate. No beer. No loose women. We just ate."

Rachel reached out to grab Quinn's hand but she caught herself and grabbed her napkin instead. Quinn's face softened.

"You two are trouble together."

Rachel nodded, "I know. We always have been. You looked through enough pictures to see how close we were. In elementary, teachers made special plans just to try to keep us out of trouble. We bring out each other's mischievous sides. We always will. Can you handle that?"

Quinn searched Rachel's face for a second before nodding, "I still reserve the right to kick his ass if you get hurt. And you have to tell me when you do things. No hiding things, got it?"

"Got it."

"Good. Now, where is that waiter?"

As if on cue, a young man in his 20's stepped up to the table writing on his order pad with a tray under his arm.

"Hello ladies. What can I—" Suddenly he squeaked and dropped the tray in front of him like a shield. "Please don't hurt me!"

Rachel blinked for a second before she recognized him. It was her daddy's boss's son, the boy she had beat at the fight club.

Quinn looked startled and glanced between the two of them.

Rachel plastered a smile on her face, "Good evening. Are you here to take our orders?"

"Yeah. Right. Orders."

"Well, I believe Quinn is ready to order, aren't you Quinn?"

The blonder narrowed hey eyes at Rachel before turning to the waiter who still hadn't lowered the tray.

"Yes. We'd like two waters. I'll have the alfredo and she'll have the Santana Lopez special."

If anything, the waiter looked even more frightened after he heard Santana's name and he practically ran from the table.

Quinn stared at Rachel with her eyebrow raised.

The brunette gave her a sheepish smile, "He sure left fast."

"Rachel."

"Fine. But you cannot be upset because this was before you even acknowledged my existence."

Quinn sighed, "Fine."

The waiter scrambled back to them and slammed two glasses of water on the table before scurrying off.

Rachel ran her hands over the cool glass. "Remember when Noah and I got into that fight?"

Quinn nodded, her jaw tense.

"Well, I had to go to the fight club to fight him. They wouldn't let me at him unless I beat someone else first. Our waiter was that poor individual. I defeated him in less than five minutes."

Quinn's eyebrow twitched, "You went to the fight club."

" And won the purse, but I haven't been back since and neither has Noah."

Quinn closed her eyes for a minute and bit her lip. "He's so scared of you he looks like he's going to pee his pants."

Rachel shrugged, "I told you, Quinn, I'm a trained capoeirista. I can be quite frightening."

Quinn opened her eyes. They were dark again. "It's kind of hot."

Rachel's breath hitched. The blonde was giving her that look again, the one where she looked like she wanted to devour her. She could feel her face start to heat up and her fingers ached to touch some part of the girl in front of her. The waiter came back with a basket of breadsticks, breaking the trance.

As far as Rachel was concerned, the rest of the dinner was pretty fantastic. Much to Rachel's surprise, the Santana Lopez special was delicious. Every once in a while Quinn would get a little self conscious and she'd get quiet and a little snappy. Rachel would just smile and quiet down too until Quinn would take a breath and offer Rachel a small smile. Rachel asked Quinn about cheerleading and her mother. They talked about Glee and Quinn listed with an amused smile to the comprehensive list of songs Rachel listed off.

When the waiter came, he dropped off two checks. Quinn frowned. Rachel just pulled out her purse.

"Rachel, what are you doing?"

"Paying for my meal."

"But this is a date. I'm paying for you"

"There's nothing wrong with splitting the cost of the date fifty fifty. One party paying for another parts feeds into the heteronormative stereotypes where the man is the only provider and pays for everything."

Quinn leaned forward and plucked the bill out of Rachel's hand. She made sure to hold eye contact.

"Mine."

Rachel just nodded, aware Quinn was talking about more than just the check.

After dinner, they went to the movie theater and Quinn gave Rachel a defiant stare before buying both of their movie tickets. They went to some romantic comedy that had been playing long enough that the theater was only half full.

In Rachel's humble opinion, the only reason to go on a date to the movies was to sit close and hold hands. But even in the dark theater Quinn was sitting with her hands firmly in her lap. She wasn't leaning away from Rachel but she definitely wasn't leaning towards her either. Rachel's fingers had been itching to touch the blonde all through dinner and now that they were close it was ten time worse.

Finally, halfway through the movie, Rachel decided she'd have to try. She leaned forward and slid her jacket off. Quinn glanced over quickly and raised her eyebrow. Rachel gave her a half smile and set her jacket down so that it was mostly on her lap but partially on Quinn's. She waited long enough for Quinn to become engrossed in the movie. Slowly she slid her hand under the jacket. When Quinn didn't move, Rachel slowly placed her hand next to Quinn's leg. She let the back of her hand brush Quinn's thigh. The blonde jumped. Rachel kept her eyes towards the screen, but she could hear how Quinn's breathing had picked up. She didn't move her hand, just left it there giving Quinn the option to take it. A while later she heard Quinn take a deep breath and then, ever so slowly, she slid her hand under the jacket and rested it against Rachel's, the tips of their fingers barely intertwining. Rachel smiled the rest of the movie and when she looked out of the corner of her eyes, Quinn was smiling too.

After the movie, Quinn drove Rachel home.

"I believe that the next time we decide to watch a movie at the theater, we should see what horror films are playing."

Quinn quirked her eyebrow, "You didn't like the movie?"

"Oh, no. I thought that it was more than adequate. Romance, comedy, and action are my favorite genres."

"No musicals?"

Rachel gasped, "That goes without saying."

"Then why do you want to go see a horror movie? I don't like them. Give me suspense or drama, but horror, unless it's cheesy horror, really creeps me out. I spend the whole movie wrapped around the nearest pillow hiding my eyes."

Rachel smirked, "Exactly. Except you won't have a pillow, you'll have me. And nobody at the theater will bat an eyelash."

Quinn chuckled, "Smooth, Berry, real smooth. Like that move with the jacket earlier."

"Admit it, you were impressed."

"Maybe a little."

Rachel turned serious, "Thank you for holding my hand."

"Thank you for giving me the chance to take it."

They pulled up in front of Rachel's house.

"Walk me to my door?"

"Of course."

Rachel's heart thudded harder in her chest the closer they got to her house. When they stopped in front of her door, she turned to smile shyly up at the blonde, who kept her hands clenched in front of her.

"I had a wonderful time tonight."

Quinn bit her lip, "So did I."

"Even if it was terrifying?"

"Only a little terrifying."

"Well, I think we should definitely do it again."

"I agree."

Rachel stepped closer, smirking lightly. "So, I think you earned your good night kiss."

Quinn's eyes darkened as they flicked to her lips, "Yeah?"

Rachel hummed and stepped closer, their bodies almost touching.

Quinn stepped back, "Wait."

Rachel frowned, "What is it?"

Quinn looked down guiltily, "I…we're on your front porch..anybody could see us… I'm not ashamed of you, I just…"

"It's okay."

Quinn searched her face, "Yeah?"

Rachel nodded and jerked open the door and walked into the house.

"Rachel…"

Quinn sounded so broken. Rachel raised her eyebrow, "Are you going to come in? Just because I can't kiss you in front of my house doesn't mean I don't intend to kiss you inside of my house."

Quinn smiled and stepped forward, only to hesitate. "What about your dads?"

Rachel grabbed her hand and tugged her inside before closing the door and calling to her parents.

"Dad! Daddy! Stay in the living room for at least another ten minutes, okay?"

"Sure thing, pumpkin!"

Quinn looked absolutely mortified. Rachel smirked at her and took a step forward, effectively trapping her.

She tapped her gently on the nose.

"I guess next time you should pick the porch or no kiss at all."

Quinn scowled at her, "Maybe I don't even want to kiss now."

Rachel sighed dramatically, "Your loss."

She started to step back but Quinn snagged her by the belt loops and pulled her back.

"I don't think so."

Rachel fisted one hand in the front of Quinn's shirt and used the other to lightly trace Quinn's jaw.

"You don't, do you?"

Quinn hummed before closing the distance between them. It was different than their first kiss. More solid. Their lips brushed together repeated, longer, more pressure , and Rachel was having a hard time resisting the urge to run her tongue across Quinn's bottom lip. Quinn pulled back, her cheeks flushed red and her eyes shining, and rested her forehead against Rachel's.

"Best first date ever."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"So I earned a second date?"

"Most definitely."

Quinn brushed her lips against Rachel's forehead. "I have to go."

Rachel nodded but didn't move. They stood there like that for a few moments, their bodies pressed together, hearts beating fast, and then Quinn smiled.

"Okay, I really have to go."

Rachel stepped back, "Okay."

"Good night, Rachel."

"Good night, Quinn."


	14. Chapter 14

The days between Rachel and Quinn's first date and football tryouts went by quickly. Puck and Elias were jut as excited as Rachel was. They talked about their own previous football tryouts, possible positions Rachel could try out for, how many people would actually show up for the pre school warm up, and anything else they could think of. Hiram didn't share their enthusiasm.

Rachel had long resigned herself to the fact that he would always see her as a tiny little girl who needed help with everything, regardless of the fact her body was legally considered a deadly weapon thanks to her knowledge of capoeira. It also made no difference that she and Noah had been preparing all summer. All he saw was his baby girl surrounded by 200 plus pound boys. He had been fretting all week and reminding her of all of the dangers, as well as double and triple checking all of their equipment. Rachel knew, if his work allowed, he would come to all of her games. She also knew he would probably bring his own med kit and, most likely, would hide behind her daddy most of the time so he didn't have to watch her get hit.

And Quinn…Quinn was quickly becoming a nervous wreck. Rachel really didn't like that her girlfriend was so worried, but the more worried she got, the touchier she became and that Rachel didn't mind at all.

The morning before tryouts, Quinn showed up at 8 o'clock and Rachel found herself in her bedroom pressed up against the door while Quinn kissed her thoroughly. And Rachel had to wonder how it was possible to be kissed thoroughly without any tongue involved. It had to be the almost bruising pressure the blonde was using or the way her hands were desperately clawing at Rachel's shirt pulling her closer. She wanted to enjoy it, she really did. Lose herself completely in the way their bodies pressed together or the way Quinn smelled or the way she could almost taste her. But Quinn's whole body was tense and Rachel knew, despite her confidence in her kissing abilities, it didn't have anything to do with pleasure.

Rachel put enough pressure on Quinn's shoulders so that the blonde finally pulled back. Her hazel eyes were clouded with a little bit of want and hurt, but mostly worry and frustration. Rachel smiled softly and cupped her face in her hands, thumbs brushing across her cheekbones and her lips.

"Quinn…"

The blonde squeezed her eyes shut and ducked her head down, burying her face in Rachel's neck. The brunette ran her fingers gently through her hair.

Rachel felt Quinn's lips move.

"Ifyouskipthetryoutsillletyoutouchmybreast."

Her hand froze. "Excuse me?"

Quinn leaned back, her face pale and utterly serious. "If you skip the try out I'll let you touch my breast."

Rachel's eyes widened comically and she gaped at her a minute before she started laughing. Quinn scowled, but then her lips quirked and she started chuckling too. Rachel squeezed her lightly and pulled her towards her bed. She released Quinn and climbed up and sat with her back against the headboard. She patted the space in front of her. The blonde hesitated, clasping her hands nervously in front of her and biting her lip.

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Quinn, you practically mauled me and offered to let me touch your breasts, I think it's okay if you sit on my bed."

Quinn scowled and sat on the edge of the bed. The brunette rolled her eyes and tugged Quinn closer. She relented and hesitantly allowed Rachel to pull her up until her check was resting over Rachel's heart. The smaller girl felt Quinn's body slowly relax and she ran her fingers lightly through her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.

"You know, I should be mortally offended that you tried to use the same tactic on me that you tried to use on Finn. Maybe I should have said yes, just to see you try to work your way out of it."

"As long as you would have skipped the tryout, I would have let you do it."

Rachel's cheeks flushed even as she huffed, "You would not. We haven't even kissed with tongues yet. And I'm not a stupid boy, if I was ever overcome with the urge to grab someone's breast, I always have my own."

Quinn snorted, "That's not even remotely the same thing, and I haven't exactly noticed you trying to deepen any kisses."

Rachel shrugged, "I wouldn't really know if it was the same thing or not. And I'm letting you set the pace, remember?"

She felt Quinn still in her arms.

"You wouldn't know? You mean nobody's ever…But St. James—"

Rachel narrowed her eyes, "Oh, he tried. He never got very far."

Quinn looked up at her, "But you let everyone think that you slept with him."

"People will think whatever they want of me regardless of what I tell them."

"What about your friends? Why don't you tell them the truth?"

"To which friends are you referring?"

Quinn looked down and ran her fingers up and down Rachel's arms. "The Glee club?"

Rachel sighed, "Oh Quinn, they're not my friends."

Quinn looked up, startled, "But—"

Rachel put her finger over her lips. They were so soft. She refocused. "I might wish they were my friends, and I might try to treat them like they were, but they're not. I haven't heard from a single one of them all summer, unless you count my interactions with Finn, Kurt, and Mercedes. Not one of them has ever seriously given me the time of day. The only people in McKinley I seriously consider as true, honest friends are Noah and Brittany."

Quinn raised her eyebrow, "Brittany?"

Rachel nodded, "We've been secret friends since kindergarten. We may pretend to be completely unaware of each other's existence, but I don't doubt for a second that she has my back as I have always had hers. The bonds of cubbyhole partners are unbreakable."

Quinn's lips quirked and then she turned serious. Her voice was small, "And what about me?"

Rachel leaned down and brushed her lips against Quinn's. "You are my girlfriend. Which is at least ten times better."

Quinn sat up so she could face her and reached out so she could cup Rachel's cheek.

"I'm so sorry, Rachel."

"Quinn…"

"No. The way I treated you was completely unacceptable. Maybe if I had treated you better, other people would have been more inclined to approach you."

Rachel ran her hand lightly down Quinn's side, "I'll accept your apology, but I won't have you feel guilty about it anymore. You are not allowed to feel bad because of how other people behaved towards me. They are their own people. They lead their own lives and make their own decisions."

"But Rachel—"

"No, Quinn. No. Kurt, Mercedes, Tina, Artie…they all know what it's like to be ostracized and yet they continue to do the same to me. That is their fault. Not yours, okay?"

Quinn nodded, "Okay."

Rachel leaned forward and kissed her softly. "Good." Quinn smiled weakly and she tugged her back into her arms. "Now, tell me why this football thing worries you so much. You admitted on our date that you find me kicking ass hot and I have a feeling that you find me more than a little attractive in a football uniform. I'm not entirely sure why you aren't excited."

Quinn groaned and buried her face in Rachel's chest. "I have absolutely no idea what you're talking about."

"Liar, Liar pants on fire," Rachel sing songed.

"Okay. Fine. I think you look hot in the uniform."

Rachel pulled her closer, "But?"

Quinn sighed, "I'm just so afraid you're going to get hurt. Most of the guys on the team bully you. They aren't going to want you on the team. They aren't going to watch out for you on the field because they don't care. I mean, Puck will try to protect you, but we all know Finn's just going to mope around and whine. Mike, he's a decent guy, but I don't know how far he would go to stand up for you. And all of those stupid boys are going to have their hands all over you."

Rachel took a breath, "I don't expect them to suddenly stop slushying me and start caring about me. I plan on showing them how good I am, that I'm so good that they won't be able to say no. And I don't think Coach Beiste will let them behave inappropriately during a game. She seemed like a no nonsense woman who was very serious about her football."

"I really just don't want you to get hurt."

"Neither do I. But, if I do, I wouldn't be opposed to you being my nurse."

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I'm sure."

Rachel hummed, "Maybe I'll get hurt on purpose now, just so you have to take care of me. Will you wear a uniform?"

Quinn slapped her arm, "God, who are you, Puck? And don't joke about that."

Rachel pressed her lips into Quinn's hair, "It's going to be fine. I promise. And I won't let them touch me. You're really the only person whose hands I want on me."

Quinn didn't say anything, just burrowed closer. They sat there a few minutes before Quinn suddenly pulled back, her eyes intense.

Rachel frowned, "What's wrong?"

Quinn licked her lips, "Speaking of hands on your body, you and Jesse didn't do anything."

"We already went over that, I believe."

Quinn leaned closer, "But that means I'm going to get to be the first person to touch your breasts. Ever. It's like they're mine."

Rachel blushed and swallowed thickly. She quirked her eyebrow, "You're awfully sure of yourself for someone who hasn't even kissed me properly and has only taken me out on one date. And I will have you know that I am not some piece of property-"

Quinn pressed her lips against Rachel's. There was that almost bruising pressure again, but then she was sucking on Rachel's bottom lip and, God, she had never done that before. Rachel's breath hitched and she tried to pull Quinn closer but the blonde resisted. Instead she pulled away slowly but not before barely flicking her tongue across Rachel's lip. Rachel was pretty sure she was going to spontaneously combust. She stared breathlessly at Quinn, whose eyes were impossible dark and practically glowing with heat. The blonde blushed slightly but smirked, "If you make it through tryouts in one piece, maybe I'll show you exactly how sure of myself I am."

Rachel gulped and nodded.

Quinn settled back down into her arms as they both tried to get their bodies to relax.

Rachel cleared her throat, "Not that I'm complaining, but I was always under the impression that you were slightly more reserved when it came to physical intimacy."

Quinn snuggled closer, "I am. I just…it feels different with you. You're not pushing me so I don't have to constantly worry about you trying to go too far."

Rachel kissed the top of her head, "You know, I'm perfectly content with whatever you want to give me. I feel pretty lucky to even be able to kiss you."

"I know that. I think that's why I'm so comfortable with you. And, for the record, I feel pretty lucky to be able to kiss you."

Rachel hummed, "I guess we're both just lucky people."

Quinn nodded. They stayed there, just holding each other, until Quinn had to go to practice.

Puck picked Rachel up at 1:30 with a giant grin on his face.

"So, I've picked out our name."

Rachel raised an eyebrow, "Our name?"

"Yeah. Twin terrors is so overdone and Pucksaurus and Superstar are way too badass to have some lame name."

"I suppose you are correct. Well, what is our new nomenclature?"

Puck smirked, "The Super Smash Bros."

"As in the Super Mario Smash Brothers?"

"Exactly, except instead of brothers it's bros, because we're bros."

"Fine, but I call Samus."

"Whatever, you can have her. Kirby is the shit. He can suck up everyone and steal their powers."

"He's basically a smiling pink vacuum cleaner. That's hardly impressive."

"Quinn would be impressed you had a mouth like a vacuum cleaner."

Rachel scowled and slapped his arm, "If you weren't my bro, I would castrate you."

Puck winced, "Hey, save the aggression for the field. So, Super Smash Bros for life?"

"Super Smash Bros for life."

Despite the fact that they left early, they seemed to be the last to arrive. Rachel only counted eleven people and that counted herself and Noah. It really was sad how uncommitted people seemed to be about the football team, regardless of their losing record. She recognized Mike, of course, Karofsky was there, and she recognized a few boys who had been on the football team last year. There were a few boys who were obviously freshman. And then there was a tall blonde boy who she didn't recognize, even though he was obviously at least a junior. She was surprised and relieved that Finn wasn't there. She hadn't looked forward to listening to him and she was still a little irritated with him. She would make her way onto the football team without his interference and she looked forward to seeing his face when he showed up to the school tryouts and found out.

As they approached, Mike gave them a small wave and Karofsky sneered.

"Geez, Puckerman, you're supposed to leave your playthings at home."

Puck glared, "Is that why Azimio isn't here?"

Karofsky's eyes flashed and he gritted his teeth, "You take that back or—"

"What's going on here?"

Coach Beiste walked over to them.

Karofsky faltered, "Who are you?"

"I'm your new coach, Coach Beiste. And I don't like fighting between my players."

Karofsky smirked, "I was just telling Puckerman that he should have left his girlfriend at home."

"I was under the impression they weren't dating."

Rachel stepped forward, "We're not. David was merely confused by a silly rumor spread by a mutual acquaintance."

Beiste searched her face a minute before nodding.

"Alright, then. So are there really only eleven of you? This is the tryout for the Varsity football team!"

Puck shrugged, "I'm surprised this many people showed up. We've never started football before school before."

Beiste frowned, "Never? At my last school we had two a days the first few weeks leading up to school.

One of the younger boys shifted, "Two a days?"

Beiste looked around, "Two practices a day? Did any of you practice at all this summer?"

Rachel and Puck raised their hands. Rachel noticed the blonde boy raise his as well. She decided that she liked him already.

One of the football players snorted, "What the hell are you raising your hand for, Stubbles?"

Puck snarled, "Watch your mouth around my bro, asshole."

Rachel put her hand on his arm, "It's okay, Noah, I got this." She made eye contact with each of the boys, "I am trying out for the team. As she was addressing everyone who was trying out for the team, it means she was addressing me as much as she was any of you."

"This has to be a joke." "Bullshit." "There's no way in hell—"

Coach Beiste blew her whistle. "Hey! She has just as much of a right to try out as any of you. This isn't the boys' football team. It's the football team and the rules state there must be equal opportunities for boys and girls in sports. We don't have the equivalent of a girls' football team. So, if Berry can play, she can play. If she's practiced as much as she says she has, some of you boys might be in trouble. If any of you have a problem with it, you can leave now."

Rachel cleared her throat, "Coach, if I may?" She nodded. "I understand that you dislike me and I understand that it may be uncomfortable because I'm female. But I'm not looking for special treatment. If I'm not good enough, I'm not good enough. I respect that. All I ask is that I be given a fair tryout. Hit me as hard as you would anyone else. I'm going to give it my all and I ask that you do the same."

Beiste eyed them all, "Any objections?"

A few people grumbled but they all shook their heads no. Puck smirked proudly.

"Now that we've got that cleared up, go get padded up. Just grab a helmet and some shoulder pads for now. The cheerleading coach is still giving me trouble about the locker rooms, so just put them on over your clothes."

Karofsky glared at Rachel when she grabbed her helmet and pads and Puck growled at him. He backed off.

Rachel raised her eyebrow at him. "You do realize who you sounded like just now, don't you?"

"Shut up."

"But you do."

"Whatever. Jerk needs to screw off. Are you ready to tear this shit up?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

Puck held out his fist, "Activate Super Smash Bros badass powers."

Rachel bumped it, "Activation complete. We will now be kicking ass and taking names."

The blonde boy was standing next to them. "Were you just talking about the video game?"

Puck narrowed his eyes, "What's it to you, Fish Lips?"

Rachel elbowed him, "Noah! I'm sorry…"

"Sam. Sam I am."

Rachel smiled, "Well, Sam I am, I apologize for my friend's poor manners. We were indeed referring to the video game."

Sam smiled hesitantly, "I was just going to say it was a cool game. I can never decide if I like Pikachu better, or Kirby."

"Dude, Kirby's mine already." Puck eyed him carefully, "But you might be okay."

"Thanks, I think."

Rachel grabbed them both by the elbows, "Come, gentlemen, the field awaits."

Beiste had them run laps first and do some basic exercises like jumping jacks and fire drills. After the third set of jumping jacks, Puck threw her a look that clearly said 'Thank you for making me work out all summer.' Almost all of the others were panting heavily and their bodies were slowing down. Thanks to their insane summer practice schedule, Rachel and Noah were a little sweaty, but not exhausted. She saw Beiste give them an approving nod.

Karofsky noticed too and he hissed in their direction, "I guess humping like rabbits all summer builds your stamina."

Rachel rolled her eyes and Puck glared but at Rachel's frown he didn't say anything.

Beiste cleared her throat, "Karofsky! If you have time to talk you aren't working hard enough. Now, do it again."

Next, she set up a series of cones and had them run through it a couple of times. Rachel thought that it wasn't nearly as exciting as their obstacle course. Especially their original one, which always held the possibility of certain death or dismemberment of some kind. Nothing makes a person watch their footwork like the possibility of stepping on a rusty nail or getting jabbed in the eye by pieces of a broken slide. She, Puck, and Mike did the best on that one. Mike caught Rachel's eye and gave her a nod and a smile. She beamed at him. Karofsky accidentally bumped into her. Puck took a step toward him but Rachel held him back.

"I'll get him later."

Puck raised an eyebrow and then smirked when he saw the glint in her eyes.

Beiste asked which of them thought they could throw and Sam raised his hand in the air. Rachel raised hers half heartedly, only offering her services if it was necessary. Rachel held no delusions that she was great. She had a good solid throw. Sam, though, he was pretty great. Actually, the more he threw, the more excited Rachel became. When she looked over at Puck, they exchanged at glance. Blondie was so much better than Finn. There was no way that Finn was going to get to be starting quarterback this year. Part of Rachel felt bad for him. He relied so much on his status as quarterback. But, he should have showed up. Finn was never good at prioritizing or really putting true effort into anything. He did good enough to hang on, to get the credit, but that was it. Maybe this would teach him a lesson and he could grow and become a better person.

Once Beiste decided Sam would be their quarterback for the day, she had them split into pairs. One pair at a time they would go to the line. One would be the defender and one would be the receiver and Sam would throw the ball. The coach picked the pairs based on size so Rachel was paired off with one of the smaller freshman. He looked to be a nice enough boy. He was the defender first. She kind of bobbled the ball the first time, but she managed to catch it every time. It was so much easier to catch the ball when the quarterback knew what he was doing. The boy never tackled her. Rachel wasn't sure if it was because he couldn't or because he wouldn't. When she heard him swearing at her under his breath, she had her answer. She had determined to ignore him, but then they switched positions and he had the audacity to sneer at her and tell her not to break a nail. Rachel was shorter than he was, but she had an excellent vertical leap. Every time he would almost catch the ball, she would slap it out of his hands.

Puck wolf whistled.

Coach Beiste beckoned her over.

"Berry, let him catch the ball. Let me see if you know how to handle a player after they make the catch."

Rachel tried not to smirk, "Of course, Coach."

When they lined up again, the boy was clearly frustrated. He called her a bitch. The coach blew her whistle, they took off running, and Sam threw the ball. As soon as the football was safely pulled against his body and he had taken the necessary two steps, Rachel slammed into him with the full force of her body.

Rachel jumped back up quickly and adjusted her pads before turning and giving Puck a thumbs up.

The boy on the field groaned.

Coach Beiste jogged over. "Berry, I said take him down, not smear him into the field."

Rachel cocked her head to the side, "There's a difference?"

Coach Beiste shook her head before helping the shaken boy up. "I think we're ready for the next pair."

Jogging over to the other players, Rachel looked at their reactions. Mike looked impressed. Most of the other boys looked disgruntled or confused.

Puck slapped her on the back. "Hell yeah, Superstar! And that, gentlemen, is why we are the Smash Bros."

After the throwing exercise, the same pairs were supposed to do a running exercise. Sam would hand off the ball to one of them and the other would try to tackle them. When it was Rachel's pair's turn, the boy refused.

Rachel stomped her foot, "You're being ridiculous! I didn't tackle you that hard!"

Coach Beiste put her hand on her shoulder, "Berry, relax. He obviously just doesn't want to play. One of the other guys can switch places with him. Do I have any volunteers?"

Puck stepped forward, "I'll do it. Don't sweat it, babe. The Puckasaurus has got your back."

Karofsky scoffed, "Sure, you do. You're just going to go easy on her, make her look good so she'll get on the team and you can fulfill some perverted fantasy."

Puck raised an eyebrow, "Go easy on her? Are you shitting me? The last dude who tried to go easy on her ended up curled in the fetal position and rethinking his view on life."

"Guys! Knock it off. Karofsky! Are you volunteering?"

He shook his head.

"I'll do it."

Everyone turned to look at Mike, who stepped forward. Rachel smiled broadly at him and he returned it.

The coach nodded. "Alright. Berry, Chang, you're up."

Rachel could technically say she was a dancing ninja. Capoeira was part dance and part deadly martial arts. It was brutal and it was beautiful. Though he was Asian, Rachel was pretty sure Mike didn't know martial arts. He did, however, know how to dance better than anyone she'd ever known, except maybe Brittany. So, while Mike Chang wasn't a dancing ninja, she considered him the ninja master equivalent of dance. And she was really looking forward to sparring with him. Because even though it was crude, the footwork involved in running the football was a kind of dance.

She ran the ball first and it felt like the tango. He was always right on her heels forcing her to cut and fake. A couple of times she felt his fingers brush her and she spun out of his grasp only to find he had recovered and was trying to pull her back in. The first time she made it without him tackling her. The second time he was finally able to swing her to the ground just before they reached the end. It was exhilarating. He offered her a hand up with a wide smile and she knew he got it when he bowed his head just barely and said, "Can I have this dance?"

When Rachel played the defender, it was kind of like a jive—fast paced, the apparent ease of the back and forth hiding the deliberate steps and the fierce precision. Mike was far more used to defense than offense, so she tackled him both times. When Beiste blew her whistle, she almost felt like they should bow.

As they were walking back towards to rest of the group, Mike smiled at her.

"I look forward to performing with you this year, Miss Berry."

"Likewise, Mr. Chang, likewise."

All in all, Rachel thought everything was going pretty well. Karofsky was still being unsavory, but all of the freshmen had clammed up and seemed afraid of her. Sam seemed to be pretty awesome and he never hesitated when throwing or handing her the ball. The more they practiced, the more excited Mike seemed to be about her playing. And Rachel and Puck were in football heaven. After spending the majority of their summer practicing, everything was coming together.

They were taking a water break while Beiste tried to come up with a decent scrimmage plan for eleven people, when they heard the sound of a bullhorn.

"Move it, you pathetic losers! Champions coming through!"

Sue Sylvester and the entire cheerleading squad marched across the field.

Puck stiffened beside her, cursing under his breath. Rachel's stomach twisted as she searched the sea of cheerios for her cheerio. She spotted Quinn standing next to Santana and Brittany. The blonde was pale and her mouth was pressed into a harsh line. When her eyes met Rachel's her cheeks flushed slightly, but mostly she just looked queasy. From beside her, Brittany waved cheerfully. Puck and Rachel exchanged a glance before waving hesitantly. Santana just smirked with an absolutely wicked glint in her eyes as her gaze flicked between Rachel and Quinn. The brunette had wondered if Quinn had actually told the Latina, and now she had her answer.

Sue and her cheerleaders stopped and assumed identical positions, arms crossed over their chests and superior looks on their faces. Rachel shuddered a little. She really didn't need to conflate the images of her aunt and her girlfriend.

Beiste pushed through the players and stood in front of Sue.

"What is going on here? Who are you?"Sue eyed her carefully, "Sue Sylvester. Award winning cheerleading coach. You must be Bigfoot."

Beiste gritted her teeth, "It's Beiste. And what are you doing here? The field is mine for another hour."

"Correction. The field is mine. It says so in my carefully worded contract. If you look carefully at the goal posts and the bleachers, you will find that they are all stamped property of Sue Sylvester. I'm merely allowing you to use it. And as for why the girls and I are gracing you with our presence, we're here to help."

Beiste scoffed, "Help? You've been a pain in my ass since I started. How are you going to help? Fetch balls?"

Sue smirked, "Well, as I see it, these pathetic people are trying out for your pathetic team and if you want to sift out the chaff from the puny stalks of wheat you're going to have to know which ones perform under pressure in a real game situation. Any football player you have is going to have to play under the ever present gaze of my nationally ranked cheerleading squad. Nothing makes a football player, regardless of gender identity or sexual persuasion, squirm like a cheerio. Sweaty palms, racing hearts, the stench of failure and teenage hormones, with us here it will almost be like a real game. If you ever get enough players to make a team, that is."

Beiste shook her head. "We don't need your help."

"It wasn't really an offer. An offer would suggest you could decline it."

Beiste frowned, "Just stay out of the way."

Sue winked at Rachel before she pulled out her bullhorn.

"Cheerios on the bleachers now!"

As they filed past, one of the cheerleaders sneered at Rachel.

"God, Manhands, finally admit you had a penis or were you just hoping to get tackled because it's the most action you're ever going to get."

Rachel distinctly heard Quinn's growl, but Sue spoke first.

"Jefferson, keep your comments to yourself. If you're going to insult someone in my presence make sure it's at least interesting and something I haven't heard before. And never talk about Streisand and sex ever again or I'll be forced to puncture my own eardrums. And if I'm going down, you're going down with me."

Rachel watched Quinn out of the corner of her eyes. She was openly glaring at the girl. Brittany was rubbing her back and Santana rolled her eyes. All of the other cheerleaders were focused on Sue's exchange with the cheerleader.

Finally, they were all seated and Beiste blew her whistle.

It worked out so that Puck, Rachel, Sam, Mike, and two freshmen were trying to run plays against Karofsky, the other veteran football players and Rachel's ex partner. And it was more nerve wracking with the cheerleaders watching. Especially for the freshman. Rachel was more nervous too, but mostly because she wasn't sure what Quinn was going to do. Even after their talk, there was no way she was ready to see this. Puck kept glancing at Rachel and frowning at the stands. The first two plays went to Puck and Mike. They huddled again and Sam nodded towards her.

"Hand off to you, okay?"

Rachel nodded.

Puck reached across and grabbed her facemask, pulling her closer, "Bro, you'd better use your twinkle toes and run all the freaking way to the goal, okay? We don't want Q—the cheerios going crazy."

Mike chuckled, "Dude, we shouldn't be worried about the cheerios right now."

Rachel cleared her throat. "I don't think the cheerios are probably really watching anyway. Why would they?"

Puck glanced up to the stands and flinched, "Oh, babe, they're watching. They're watching really closely."

Rachel frowned. Why couldn't Quinn just look away? They ran the play. Rachel just barely slipped past Karofsky and only stopped running when Beiste blew the whistle. As they were lining back up, Karofsky glared at her. The next play, he jumped the snap. Rachel didn't even have the ball when he plowed into her.

Rachel wasn't going to lie, it hurt a little bit. She was caught completely off guard.

Beiste blew the whistle and pulled Karofsky off of her. Rachel stood up slowly. She was vaguely aware of Beiste yelling and Puck asking her if she was okay, but she was looking towards the stands, half expecting Quinn to have been on the field by now. She saw that the only reason she wasn't was because Brittany had practically wrapped her whole body around Quinn to hold her in place. Santana appeared to be whispering frantically in Quinn's ear her hand on Quinn's arm. Quinn had turned that funny shade of purple again. Finally she noticed Rachel was looking at her and she relaxed, but barely.

Puck chuckled, "Damn. Maybe we should just let her charge the field once. Nobody would touch you ever again and we could just hand you the ball and let you walk into the end zone. You okay, babe?"

"Yes. Most definitely."

"I'm going to kick that dick's ass."

Rachel shook her head, "I told you, I'll handle him, Noah."

"But, babe—"

"I got it."

Rachel went over to Coach Beiste who was still talking with Karofsky.

"Coach Beiste?"

"Are you alright?"

"I am. And I just wanted to say that I'm sure it was an accident of David's part. He was just a little overexcited to make the play. I hear he's not the only football player with early arrival problems. Right, David?"

Karofsky gritted his teeth, "Right. It was an accident."

Beiste glanced between the two of them, obviously not buying it. Rachel smiled at her.

Beiste shook her head, "Don't let it happen again."

Karofsky nodded, glaring at Rachel.

They went back to their teams.

Sam smiled at her, "You okay? That was a massive hit, like he was Donkey Kong and you were Mario."

Puck looked impressed. Rachel smiled.

"Yes. Thank you. If I may make a request?"

He nodded.

"I'd like it if Mike and I could change positions briefly. You hand it off to him and I'll do the blocking."

He looked a little confused but he agreed nonetheless.

Rachel turned to Mike, "If you please, run towards Karofsky and make sure nobody else tackles you."

He nodded, "Okay, can I ask why?

Rachel smirked, "I just want the excuse to block him for you."

Puck chuckled darkly, "Hell yeah. Don't break any of his bones."

Rachel shrugged, "I make no promises."

She supposed she should have felt bad for singling Karofsky out, but he had been on her all practice and the look on Quinn's face when he tackled her… no one made Quinn look like that and got away with it. She only hope that Quinn would be turned on enough when she saw Rachel tackle him that she didn't worry.

When Sam gave Mike the football, she followed him closely, but hung back just enough so he had room to move and the other team didn't see her as a threat. Mike dodged one person and Karofsky approach from the right. He lunged forward his arms outstretched and Rachel surged forward and slammed into him with the force of a freight train. She may or may not have used and slightly modified capoeira technique to maximize the force of the tackle. They hit the ground with a bone jarring thud. They bounced a little and slid. Everyone froze.

Rachel recovered, moving quickly on her feet in case David lashed out. Karofsky groaned but forced himself to his feet, swearing. Rachel grabbed his arm and twisted pulling him close to her. To anybody else it would look like she was helping him up and he'd stumbled.

"Listen to me, David Karofsky, I'm here to play football. As long as we are on this field, I am a fellow football player and nothing else. I am not Glee Rachel. I am not Manhands or Stubbles, or Treasure Trail. I am not one of your favorite slushy targets. I am your teammate. I am not here to challenge your masculinity. I am here to win. Got it?"

He nodded, his eyes wide.

"Good." She helped him the rest of the way up and released him. "Because I will hurt you."

The rest of the tryout went by quickly. Rachel avoided looking at the stands. Beiste called them in for a final huddle.

"Alright, you guys. Huddle it up. I want to thank you for showing up today. It showed me that you're really dedicated to making the team. A couple of you definitely made it. The rest of you will need to come back for the second tryout so I can see how you compare to the others. But if it's a close call, I'll pick you because you made more effort." She looked over them carefully. "Jensen, Hardy, you'll be maintaining your positions from last year. Karofksy, you're in, but you'd better watch that attitude of yours because I don't need it and I won't tolerate it. Puckerman, Chang, welcome back. Evans, welcome to the team. Unless someone shows up throwing like Favre or Elway, you're going to be my quarterback. And, last but not least, Berry, congratulations. You're my new running back."

Rachel couldn't help bouncing up and down excitedly. Puck threw his arm around her shoulder and whooped. A couple of the boys swore. Sam and Mike both smiled.

Coach Beiste clapped her hands to gain their attention, "Don't worry, boys, we'll figure out locker room accommodations so you won't have to worry about changing. I think we have the potential to be a great team this year. Now, I'll see you all when school starts. You might want to start getting ready for the season, because we're going to win. Now give me my pads back and go home."

Everyone moved to do as they were told. Sue dismissed the cheerios and they started to wander off as well.

Puck picked Rachel up in a giant hug.

"You are so freaking awesome. We freaking did it. Shit is going to go down this year!"

Rachel smiled, "You did wonderful as well. You've really improved. And to think, you almost didn't take me up on my offer to play with you."

Puck smirked, "That's what she said. And don't remind me. Hey, we should totally party hardy tonight!"

Rachel chuckled and Mike came over to her.

"Congratulations, Rachel."

"Thank you! To you, as well."

"You know, maybe we should use some of those football moves in Glee. It might make our choreography more interesting."

Rachel laughed, "Interesting would be the right word. Thank you for practicing with me."

"No problem. I'll see both of you next week."

"See ya, Chang."

"Goodbye, Mike."

After he left, Sam approached them.

"I just wanted to say that you're both pretty cool and I look forward to playing with you. And if you ever want to play video games or something, you should look me up."

"Thank you, Samuel. I also look forward to playing with you as well. I believe you are an excellent quarterback. And maybe we could all get together some time."

Puck grunted, "What she said. But dude, I gotta say, you've got one of the biggest mouths I've ever seen. I bet you could shove a softball—"

"Noah!"

"I'm just saying."

Sam gave them a hesitant smile, "Thanks, I think. I'll see you when school starts."

"Of course. Goodbye, Samuel."

They watched him walk away. Most of the other players had already left. Beiste and Sylvester were arguing heatedly off to the side.

"I suppose we should take these pads off so we can go home and shower, huh?"

"An excellent idea, Noah. And then—"

A throat cleared behind them.

They turned around to be faced with three very familiar cheerios. Quinn's cheeks were still flushed slightly and her eyes were on fire. Rachel recognized the anger, possessiveness, worry, and, was that want?

Puck smirked beside her, "Lopez, Baby Mama, Britt."

Quinn's gaze snapped to him. "You didn't do your job, Puckerman!" she hissed.

He held his hands up and took a step back, "Woah. Time out. I did exactly what I was supposed to do. Karofsky—"

Quinn growled and Rachel stepped in front of Puck. She really wished she would just hug the girl. "Quinn. It wasn't his fault. Everything is fine."

Quinn put her hands on her hips. "It is not! That giant ape could have hurt you!"

Santana rolled her eyes, "Calm your tits, Q. Treasure Trail is clearly fine."

Quinn snapped, "What did I tell you about call—"

"First off, you made that name up. Second off, Berry and I have an understanding."

Quinn frowned and looked down guiltily. Rachel wanted to hug her again. Brittany did it for her.

"It's okay, Q. S was just really scared when you went crazy in the bleachers. She didn't think we were going to be able to hold you."

Santana scoffed and Quinn blushed.

Brittany turned to Puck and Rachel.

"I'm so glad you two are finally back!"

She threw her arms around both of them and squeezed tight. Rachel hugged Brittany back carefully, fully aware of the looks Santana and Quinn were giving them.

Santana tugged on Brittany's skirt to get her to step back.

"Britts, Midget and Puck didn't go anywhere. We just haven't seen them because of summer break."

Brittany shook her head, "No, S. They were gone. The closet ate them."

Puck frowned and Quinn's eyebrow rose nearly to her hairline. Rachel tilted her head slightly to the side before nodding once. Santana snickered.

"Berry, maybe, but Puck—"

"No, S. Not that closet. Puck's always totally been a shark and Rachel's always been a dolphin. I'm talking about when the closet really ate them. Remember in fifth grade? Rachel was gone for like a week and when she came back she wasn't her anymore and Puck wasn't Puck even though he didn't get locked in. I think it like sucked his soul out through their secret twin connection."

Quinn looked confused on multiple levels. Santana frowned.

Quinn cleared her throat, "Rachel and Puck aren't twins, B."

"Of course not, silly. They're secret twins, which is like for real twins, but not really. They're even cooler than for real twins because they don't have to be but they are anyway."

Rachel smiled at her, "Thank you, Brittany."

"You're welcome, Rach." She turned to Quinn, "Q, you're totally lucky Rach is back and she's your girlfriend. She was my best girlfriend ever besides Santana."

Quinn blushed for a second and then her face turned red for an entirely different reason. Her eyes narrowed and she looked between Rachel and Brittany, "What, wh—"

"Goddamned Midget! When did you have your fugly—"

Rachel took a quick step back and Brittany grabbed a hold of Santana.

"S, I've told you before."

"You did not! When-"

"Yes, Berry, " Quinn stepped forward, her eyes dangerous, "When exactly did you and B date?"

Rachel huffed, "Both of you need to get over yourselves. We were in kindergarten."

"Remember, S? I told you it was before you came. Rach was my girlfriend and Puck was my boyfriend. They held my hand and carried my stuff and made sure nobody picked on me. Puck would steal me extra cookies at snack time and always got me the best crayons and Rach would sing me to sleep at naptime and help me with letters. They made anyone who called me stupid cry. And then you came and I told them I wanted you so they backed off. But they'd still steal us extra cookies and they still got the people who said mean things."

Quinn and Santana looked down slightly ashamed.

Then Santana frowned. "I didn't remember that was them. How could I forget that?"

Brittany linked their pinkies, "I told you, S, the closet ate them. They didn't come back until just now. They were like zombies or those creepy wax dolls that look like them but aren't really them. Rach forgot about everything that wasn't singing and Puck was a big meanie to everyone. But they were still my secret friends and they kept making sure people were nice to me."

Rachel and Puck glanced at each other before blushing slightly and looking down. Rachel was pretty sure Brittany was the smartest person she had ever met.

Santana looked irritated again.

"Britts, I'm the one who kick's peoples asses when they say mean things to you."

Brittany nodded solemnly. "I know you do, S. You're totally my badass knight. But we don't have all of the same classes and sometimes people say things they don't think I can hear."

"You're supposed to tell me!"

"But I didn't have to. The twins totally have my back. I know whenever Puck does it because they always bring me cookies when they say sorry. And when Rachel does it, they're always really scared like they don't know who's making them do it and they bring me stickers and really cool crayons. One time this freshman called me the r word and when he came to apologize he was crying and he brought me a giant box of 120 crayons in it. And it's good they watch out for me sometimes, that way you don't bruise your knuckles and you can do that thing where—"

Santana covered Brittany's mouth and glared at Puck and Rachel, "Say a word and I will end you."

They nodded. Rachel turned her attention toward Quinn. The blonde was looking at her with a mix of jealousy, curiosity, and tenderness.

Brittany spoke again, bouncing on her toes. "But now they're back and we don't have to be secret friends. Everything is totally going to be unicorns and rainbows."

"Of course, Britt."

Rachel smiled, "I would be very happy to openly pursue our friendship, Brittany."

Quinn stepped forward slightly, clearing her throat. "I hate to break up your reunion, but is it official? You're on the team?"

Rachel puffed out her chest and Puck slapped her on the back.

"Let me introduce you to my bro, Superstar, starting running back for the Varsity football team."

Quinn forced a smile, "Good for you, Rachel."

Santana smirked, "Q, even I'll admit she was legitimately crazy on the field. And, hey, if she really wants to die that bad—"

"Don't start, S." Quinn hissed.

"Just because you went loco and decided—"

"Hey, Rach? Since you're on the football team now, we should totally make out so I can keep up my record."

Santana and Quinn stopped arguing abruptly, equal looks of horror on their faces.

Quinn clenched her jaw, "No. Rachel is mine. Keep your lips to yourself."

Santana put her hands on her hips, "I know you did not just use that tone on my B."

"I know she did not just ask my Rachel—"

"Fabray! Lopez! Quit trying to scratch each other's eyes out."

Sue Sylvester stood with her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed.

"Q, I just went over the rules with Bigfoot and it looks as if it's against the rules for a cheerleader to be on the field during game play. You need to calm your crazy. I warned you about your lesbian shenanigans messing with my squad. I can't have Brittany and Tits McGee breaking formation to hold you back anytime some bumbling cowboy tries to mount your filly." Quinn's face turned beet red. "I was going to make you captain, but after seeing your pathetic lack of control I've decided to split the captaincy between you and Lopez. God knows if she did it on her own there would be blood on the field and those lead balloons taped to her chest might topple the pyramid." She eyed them all intensely. "Now, the rest of the cheerios have already scattered and I'm a little tired of smelling the rotting pelt of whatever animal died on Puckerman's head. Now, I'm sure you all can continue your conversation tonight at 7 at shortstack's celebratory dinner that I'm sure her fabulous fathers have already planned."

Brittany clapped her hands, "Rach, you're having a party? Can S and I come?"

Rachel glanced quickly at Quinn's raised eyebrow and then saw the slight nod Sue gave her.

"Yes. And yes of course you can come."

Sue clapped her hands sharply, "Now move it."

Quinn sent Rachel an exasperated and apologetic glance as Sue marched them away.

"So, it sounded like Sylvester just made you have a party. Shouldn't you ask your dads?"

"For some reason I think my dads already know."

"She's crazy, we should go. I thought for sure some shit was about to go down. That was intense."

Rachel nodded.

Later as they walked towards his truck, Puck threw an arm around her shoulders, "So, is it bad that every time Brittany called us the twins, all I could think of were Lopez's knockers?"


	15. Chapter 15

Only an hour left until Rachel's congratulatory dinner and she and Puck were in her living room playing Mortal Kombat. Both of her father's were in the kitchen preparing for the night's festivities and, frankly, Rachel was a little nervous for multiple reasons, never mind the Flaming Cacciatore Incident of the previous Fall. The first few reasons were small, like Santana would know where she lived and she hoped she and Brittany wouldn't try to christen any of the rooms in her house. Then there was the fact that Noah and Quinn would be in the same enclosed space for an extended period of time, which was already disastrous, and then adding a sharp-tongued Santana and an overly affectionate Brittany—there was a good chance that someone would end up bleeding tonight.

Something that bothered here even more was that she knew Sue was behind her party in some way. While her family typically celebrated all of her successes, the fact that her aunt showed up at football tryouts and mentioned the party that Rachel wasn't even sure she was having meant she was up to something. Possibly something huge. Usually, a week before school started, the Berry-Sylvester family sat down and formulated a basic plan for the school year. The plan ensured that both Sue and Rachel were able to complete their goals without completely destroying each other. Bumping heads was part of the game, as was keeping people in the dark about their relationship. While nobody would bully Sue Sylvester's niece, people probably wouldn't willingly talk to her either, or she would be "befriended" by a mass of sniveling sycophants. Neither outcome was desirable, so they planned carefully. But now it was a week before school started and Sue had instigated a party and made sure Puck, Quinn, Santana, and Brittany were all there. Rachel had a feeling that her aunt was going to be there as well. But in what capacity? And how exactly would her girlfriend and her bro react? She had a feeling Puck would be impressed. But Quinn…Quinn could be…anything.

The blonde cheerio could be angry, scared, happy (doubtful), annoyed, disgusted, or maybe just plain confused. It might very well break her and their relationship. And that lead Rachel to the thing that made her most nervous—despite the tackle and the slight bruising on her side, would Quinn consider her to have made it through the tryout in one piece? If so, would the blonde show her how sure of herself she was? And would it involve tongue and maybe a little groping?

"Dude, I just kicked your ass with Johnny Cage, the absolute lamest Mortal Kombat character ever invented, and I didn't hear one peep of 'misogynistic pig'."

Rachel blinked. "What?"

"Exactly my point."

"I had a perfect win-loss record with Scorpion!"

"You should have been paying attention."

Rachel huffed and hit the continue button. Puck changed his player back to Katana and Rachel decided to change to Sub-Zero.

Puck nudged her. "Relax, okay? Everything is going to be awesome. Now focus so I can kick your wimpy little ninja's ass fair and square."

Rachel narrowed her eyes. "Wimpy little ninja? Scorpion and Sub-Zero are the best characters in the franchise."

"Please," he rolled his eyes, "Katana and Liu Kang are the shit."

"They're mediocre at best."

"It's the freakin' hot badass princess and the chosen one! And at least they're free! Scorpion is basically a ghost enslaved by a weak ass magician. He's like a freakin' bunny getting pulled out of a hat. And Sub-Zero is just a shitty assassin who can't even kill his targets."

"Noah Puckerman! You take that back! Scorpion is a deeply tortured soul whose whole clan was murdered in front of his eyes and Sub-Zero constantly struggles with his role as a leader and the decisions he makes for his tribe and himself. He is torn between what he wants and what his people want."

"You're ridiculous. Besides, Liu Kang and Katana, OTP forever."

"OTP? OTP? You are such a hypocrite! I have no idea how you can judge me for kitten calendars, Mr. Matchy-socks-and-shoes-and-OTPs!"

"Hey!"

"And, and Katana/Liu Kang is a ridiculous pairing! It's so boring. Give me something interesting like—"

"Katana and Sonja Blade?"

Rachel thought for a moment, "That would be acceptable."

"Now that's ridiculous. It's obvious why you would be happy with them."

"What's obvious is that I'm kicking your hind end."

"Bullshit. Lucky punch. And you like them because it's an angry blonde chick with trust issues and an ethnic chick who's a badass ninja warrior."

"What does—"

"Think about it."

"Are you implying—"

"It's totally you and Quinn with less clothes and more blood."

Rachel sputtered, "This has nothing to do with my original premise about Scorpion and Sub-Zero."

Puck smirked, "So?"

"The whole point of this discussion—"

"Shhh. Change your character to Sonja. We'll pretend they're having wild angry sex. I bet you and Baby Mama—"

Rachel dropped the controller and launched herself at him. She put him in a headlock and scrubbed her knuckles viciously across his head.

He started flailing. "No! Make it stop!"

"Fiend! Vicious, crass fiend!"

"Joking…I…a joke! My hawk!"

"I'll show you angry sex!"

A loud exaggerated cough made them freeze and when Rachel looked up she let go immediately. She smiled nervously. Puck winced.

"Quinn! How did you get in here?"

The blonde raised her eyebrow. " Well, there's this thing called a door…"

Rachel blushed, "I meant—"

Quinn's lips quirked, "Your dad let me in."

"Oh."

She searched Quinn's face for any trace of an impending blow up, but it was almost perfectly blank. Finally those lips quirked again.

"Do I want to know why you're propositioning Puckerman?"

Puck snickered and Rachel's jaw opened and closed before she smacked him in the arm.

"That is utterly ludicrous. We were having a heated discussion about the compatibility of two of the characters in the game and the general 'badassery' of certain characters in general that lead to a slightly physical altercation."

There was that eyebrow again. "You were fighting over characters on Mortal Kombat?"

"Precisely."

Quinn shook her head, "God…you two are such dorks."

Puck frowned, "We don't do dork, Fabray. We're badasses."

Quinn rolled her eyes and walked around the couch. Rachel took the opportunity to really examine her. Her hair was up this time and she was wearing a simple pair of jeans and a blouse. Really, Rachel didn't get to see her in jeans that often and she'd never gotten to consciously admire them before. She's probably subconsciously admired them plenty of times. Quinn stopped in front of her and smirked, her eyes dancing for a moment. Rachel tried not to blush and Puck snickered again. Quinn shot him a quick glare before turning back to Rachel.

"So, are you too engrossed in fighting over fictional characters to say hello or…"

Rachel scrambled to her feet and Quinn immediately pulled her into a tight embrace. "Eyes up front, Puckerman."

He grumbled but did it anyways.

Rachel could feel some of the tension from the tryouts finally leave Quinn's body as she clung to her. Rachel rubbed her back gently, hoping Quinn would be able to relax. It worked and Quinn leaned back keeping her arms wrapped loosely around Rachel.

The brunette smiled, "Hey."

"Hey."

Puck cleared his throat and Quinn shot him another glare.

He smirked, "So, Fabray, you want to play? I have the perfect character—"

"Noah!"

Quinn rolled her eyes, "I'll leave that to you two." And sat down on the couch in Rachel's spot.

Rachel pouted, "Quinn, where am I supposed to sit? I chose that space specifically for its optimum screen viewing capabilities."

Quinn raised her eyebrow and patted her lap.

Rachel fidgeted, "Are you certain? I'm probably too heavy and I wouldn't want—"

She was cut off when Quinn grabbed her by the hips and pulled her down. Rachel could help it as her body immediately relaxed into Quinn's. The blonde's arms wrapped themselves around her waist and pulled her snugly against her torso. Rachel could feel Quinn's breasts pressed against her back and her chin resting on her shoulder as she smirked, "There, that's better."

Rachel nodded furiously, forgetting her initial objections. Really, what was she thinking? Why would anyone want to sit anywhere besides Quinn's lap?

"Superstar, snap out of your Baby Mama induced haze and pick a freaking character."

Rachel flushed and quickly locked on Scorpion, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Quinn chuckled lightly in her ear.

Puck grinned smugly, "You'd better watch your ass because your soul is mine!"

The next fifteen minutes passed in a flurry of mashed buttons. Rachel wasn't exactly concentrating on the game, more on the way Quinn's thumb rubbed circles on her hip. Or the way it felt when she breathed, or how she smelled. She was distracted between Quinn and the game that she nearly jumped out of her skin when her dad hollered at her to answer the door.


	16. Chapter 16

Rachel wasn't sure how she felt letting a visibly disgruntled Santana Lopez into her house, but Brittany looked positively ecstatic. As soon as she stepped foot into the house, she wrapped Rachel up in a bone-crushing hug that was a little tighter and a little longer than normally deemed socially acceptable, although the brunette knew that most things with Brittany weren't necessarily socially acceptable.

Brittany smelled like lemon lime and warm cookies and it reminded Rachel of the many hugs they shared during Kindergarten, of singing "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" in a round with Noah to a fidgeting Brittany at naptime because she couldn't fall asleep without a song about night, of always having a hand to hold, of belonging unconditionally. She'd never really realized how much she'd missed the other girl until this very moment and she was embarrassed to discover her eyes were burning a little. She was determined not to cry in front of Santana.

She pulled out of the hug and cleared her throat, ignoring Santana's heated glare. She didn't even have to look at the Latina to know it was plastered across her face. Over the years she'd gained a sixth sense for those kinds of things. It helped her to prepare for, and sometimes avoid, impending slushy attacks and other physical and verbal confrontations. In fact, she kept a list of all of the people who glared at her consistently, along with their different types of glares. Currently, the top three positions belonged to Azimio Adams, Quinn Fabray, and Santana Lopez respectively. Santana had six different types of glares that corresponded to levels of irritation or perceived offense. Rachel had named them "You're not Brittany so I don't have time for you," "Excuse you, you'd best step back," "What the freaking hell, Mr. Shue," "Those are my Breadstix!" "Brittany is mine!" and "You're about to find out what I do with the razorblades I keep in my hair." Currently the glare was vacillating between "Mine!" and "Razorblades" so Rachel took a slight step back and plastered a confident smile on her face.

"Brittany, Santana, welcome to my home! Thank you for coming to the impromptu Berry Family Football Extravaganza. Please remove your footwear and place them in the designated area."

Brittany's smile was nearly blinding. "I'm so excited we get to act like friends again! Do I need to take off my ducky socks? Mr. and Mrs. Quackers get cold if they don't have my feet to keep them warm. And what about the toe mood ring Santana got me?"

Rachel shook her head. "Oh no, only your shoes."

"Why didn't you just say so silly?"

Santana spoke up with a slight sneer, "Because Manhands doesn't know how to speak like a normal human being."

Rachel flinched. Brittany pouted, "S…"

Santana shrugged, "True fact. Stubbles probably spent her childhood making out with a dictionary."

Something in Rachel snapped then. She squared her shoulders and took a step towards the sable-haired girl.

"Not in my home, Santana Lopez! This is a safe space, my safe space, and I will not be subjected to your hateful, transphobic slurs or any other malicious names or comments. You don't have to be here. You could have declined the invitation…" Rachel glanced from Santana's disbelieving face to Brittany's pouting one and amended her statement, "…or maybe you couldn't, but don't bring your negative attitude to my family's celebration. You can keep our interactions to a minimum if you so desire, but you have Brittany, Quinn, and even Noah who can serve as very suitable buffers. That being said, I personally have nothing against you. While I'm wary because of our previous encounters, I respect your brutal ambition, your competency with song and dance, and your fierce loyalty to those you deem worthy and I would count myself lucky to someday be considered one of them. Until then, while you are here, you may address me as Rachel or Berry, and if you find those too difficult to pronounce it would probably be best if you didn't address me at all or just left. Do we understand each other?"

For a moment a tense silence settled between them as Rachel and Santana held each other's unblinking gaze and Brittany nervously shuffled her feet. Finally, the Latina blinked and nodded once, her face falling into a mask of indifference as she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned back.

"Sure, Berry, whatever."

Brittany beamed and bounced on the balls of her feet, "I'm so proud of you, S. I'll totally give you a sticker later."

Rachel couldn't stop the question that slipped from her mouth, "A sticker?"

"For good behavior, duh," the blonde's brows furrowed, "Don't you give Q stickers? Or does she give you stickers? Are you both bad? Have you not even tried stickers yet?"

Rachel floundered. She wasn't entirely sure if they were talking about decorative adhesive strips anymore, especially with the smirk steadily growing on Santana's face.

She cleared her throat, "I believe it is time to move to the more populated areas of the house."

She motioned for them to follow her and the two cheerleaders linked pinkies.

She continued, "While I won't give you the whole tour, I would be remiss as a hostess if I didn't point out the locations of the restrooms. If you take the stairs and head to the left you'll find one in the second door on the left. There's also one on this floor straight down this hall. It's the door with the whimsical anchor on the doorknob. I'll take you to the living room where Quinn and Noah are waiting in a moment, but first I would like to properly introduce you to my fathers. Please be on guard, the chances of flaming kitchenware increases exponentially when they cook together."

She pushed open the swinging door that lead to the kitchen, calling out, "Dad! Daddy! I'd like to introduce you to two of my friends!"

Rachel never knew what to expect when she opened the door to her fathers cooking. Last fall it was the Flaming Cacciatore Incident, before that the Exploding Tofu-loaf, the Sizzling Kebobs of Death, and countless other accidents that taught her to be cautious. What amused and frustrated her most was that both of her fathers were excellent cooks on their own and she couldn't quite understand why together they usually turned into a disaster of epic proportions. She imagined it had something to do with the way they lightly bickered over who knew the superior blend of seasonings, kept nitpicking over each other's work, and eyeing each other in their respective aprons. Really, she half expected to walk in on them making out like teenagers sometimes. They might have claimed to be too respectable for such actions, but she'd seen her dad's hair looking suspiciously mussed several times. On one hand, she was very happy that her parent still loved one another enough to make goo goo eyes at each other. On the other, she was tired of pulling out the fire extinguisher.

Currently, her fathers were bickering over the correct composition of what appeared to be a salad while a pot of water grew dangerously close to boiling over on the stove top. They turned toward the sound of her voice, her daddy noticing the water and quickly removing it from the hot burner. Her dad chuckled at him and bumped their shoulders lightly together as they stepped toward the three girls. They each wore their special aprons. Elias' was dark green with a large Green Lantern symbol across the chest. Hiram's mimicked a classic black tuxedo. He smiled warmly as he greeted them.

"Hello girls, welcome to our humble abode!"

Brittany pushed passed Rachel, squealing excitedly, "Officer Big Bear!" and threw her arms around Elias. He looked startled for a moment before chuckling deeply and returning the hug.

"I haven't heard that name in a long time," he said, "Brittany Pierce, you sure have gotten big."

"It's totally because I eat all my Flintstones and I spend at least fifteen minutes a day hanging upside down."

Hiram shook his head fondly, a bemused expression on his face, "I'm sure that's exactly it."

"Since I've been good, does that mean I get a sucker, Dr. Bear?"

Rachel watched with a small smile as they talked. She glanced at Santana briefly and then did a double take as she noticed the look on her face. Santana looked absolutely gobsmacked, or as gobsmacked as Santana Lopez could ever look. Her mouth hung slightly open and her eyes were wider than normal. Rachel wasn't entirely sure what had the other girl so bewildered. Perhaps it was Brittany's familiarity with her parents. While she and Puck had stopped 'dating' the blonde after kindergarten, Rachel and Brittany had continued to have dance lessons together until the third grade when the taller girl decided to focus on contemporary dance and Rachel stuck with ballet. Therefore, her parents had seen several years' worth of both girls' recitals until the two had drifted apart. But, then again, maybe it wasn't that, maybe it was the way Brittany had addressed them.

She leaned slightly toward the dark haired girl and spoke softly, "She came up with those in kindergarten."

Santana jumped slightly and turned to Rachel, "What?"

"Those names. She got a little mixed up referring to them both as Mr. Berry and Berry reminded her of bears, and, of course, Daddy is much bigger than Dad so he became Big Bear. I think Dad is lucky he was granted the name Dr. Bear instead of Dr. Little Bear."

"I—"

"And this is my Santana!" Brittany proclaimed, bouncing back over and throwing her arm around the girl's shoulders and squeezing tight.

Said girl's eyes darted back and forth between the three Berrys. Rachel was intrigued by her sudden bout of strange behavior but shook the feeling off as she remembered her manners.

She spoke, "Dad, Daddy, this is Santana Lopez, co-head cheerleader and glee clubber. Santana, this is my dad, Dr. Hiram Berry, and my daddy, Police Officer Elias Berry."

Santana seemed to shake herself slightly, "Sirs," she said, offering her hand first to Elias who nodded in acknowledgment and then to Hiram who smiled widely.

"No need to be so formal. Elias and Hiram will do. It's a pleasure to meet you. You wouldn't happen to be Carlos' daughter would you? I hate to assume just because of the last name, but I would be very surprised if there was another cheerleader named Santana who liked to sing in Lima."

Santana's eyebrows rose, "Do you work with my dad? He mentions me?"

He nodded, "Oh yes. We might not work together all the time, but we speak at least once a week. He's very proud of you, you know."

Santana blushed slightly, "Thank you."

Noticing her slight discomfort, Rachel spoke quickly, "Well, I'm sure Noah and Quinn are wondering if I've been abducted by rogue Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses. I should show these two to the living room."

Hiram nodded, "Alright, pumpkin. If you need anything, just holler. We should be done before too much longer."

She nodded and started to usher the other two out of the room before her daddy's voice stopped her, "One more thing, Rachel."

"Yes?"

"You aunt will be here tonight."

Rachel swallowed the sudden knot that formed in her throat, "Thank you for letting me know."

She led the two cheerios towards the living room as her heart pounded so loudly that it seemed to have floated up near her eardrums. She felt little comfort in knowing that it wasn't anatomically possible. Her aunt was going to be here. Tonight. With Noah, Quinn, Santana, and Brittany. The secret she'd kept to herself for so long wouldn't just be her own anymore. How would she act? How would they react? Especially Quinn. And Noah. Quinn and Noah who had been left alone in the same room together for over fifteen minutes. How bruised would he be? What ruffled feathers would she have to soothe? Should she warn them about Sue beforehand? How would she even bring that up? And why was Santana acting so strangely? Was she plotting Rachel's demise after their verbal spat in the entryway? She was so lost in thought that she didn't realize when they stepped into the living room.

"Superstar! What the hell took so long? Quinn was about to send out a search party."

She blinked before focusing on Puck and Quinn who, despite his claims to the contrary, both looked worried. Quinn especially, who was still in Rachel's spot, her eyes darting over Rachel looking for any sign of injury.

The brunette smiled reassuringly at her and then huffed at Puck, "As you can clearly see, Santana and Brittany arrived and I needed to introduce, or reintroduce, them to my parents."

She turned to Brittany and Santana, "You may sit wherever you please."

Brittany smiled and pulled Santana to the couch to sit next to Quinn. She threw out a quick "Hi guys!" before hugging the other blonde tightly.

Puck smirked in response, "Lopez. Brittany."

Santana rolled her eyes at him, "Puckerman. Q, you're lucky I'm such as supportive friend or I might not have come."

Quinn scoffed, "Please. As long as Brittany came, you would too."

Brittany leaned against the Latina, "She's totally right, S. I always make sure you come."

Puck snorted and Santana glowered at him.

"Watch it," she growled before turning to Rachel who was still standing, "Jesus, Ru—Berry, quit lurking. You're making everyone feel awkward. Sit down already."

Rachel inhaled sharply. Where was she supposed to sit? The Berry living room consisted of an armchair, a love seat, and a rather long couch. Puck was on the love seat and the girls were on the couch. That left a spot next to Puck and Santana and a completely open space in the chair. The chair seemed awfully far away from everyone and she didn't want to feel pushed to the side in her own home. Sitting next to Santana, who still seemed slightly off, probably wouldn't be the wisest decision. She would be comfortable sitting next to Puck, it was made the most logical sense, but Quinn still got a bit twitchy when they were in close physical proximity to each other. She was getting better about it, but her instinctual urge to jerk the brunette away from him was still there. But the real problem that lay in Rachel choosing a seat was that Quinn was still in her spot, the blonde's lap was still her preferred spot, but she wasn't sure how she would react. While Quinn might be completely fine with being affectionate in front of Puck, she wasn't certain it was the same case with Santana and Brittany. She hesitated a moment longer, her eyes darting between the available choices before they caught Quinn's. The blonde's eyes reflected Rachel's confusion before widening as if understanding her thoughts and then shifted to reflect a softening and determination. The cheerleader tapped her fingers against her thighs, a teasing smile on her face.

"Come on, Rachel. Puckerman's been whining about this game since you left. You're going to need your optimum viewing potential so I can watch you kick his ass."

Rachel couldn't help the wide smile that blossomed on her face as she practically skipped over to the couch and sat down gently on Quinn's lap. Quinn's arms wrapped snugly around her and pulled her just as close as before. It was just as magical the second time. Brittany cooed and Santana made a gagging noise.

Quinn sighed, "Can it, S."

Rachel fought the urge to stick out her tongue. Puck snickered and tossed the controller at her.

"Let's go, babe. Let's see if you can fight through your Fabray induced haze and actually win."

She scoffed at him, "Please, it's the only way you've been able to beat me. I believe the colloquial term I'm looking for is 'Your ass is grass.'"

Quinn squeezed her waist and chuckled in her ear. Brittany laughed loudly. Puck responded by choosing Sonja Blade purely to irritate her. Rachel chose Jax in retaliation.

Santana spoke up, "So Puck brought video games and we have to watch you play them? Does Berry even know how to play video games? That seems a little too 'average kid' for her."

Rachel retorted without taking her eyes from the screen, "I will have you know that these are my video games and—"

Quinn pinched her playfully, "Don't let her distract you. Santana, what Rachel means to say is that she and Puck are secretly ginormous dorks."

Rachel gasped dramatically and Puck scowled, "Badasses. How many times do I need to say we're badasses."

Brittany chimed in, "So, who are these characters? Why'd you pick them?"

Puck smirked and opened his mouth to respond but Rachel cut him off abruptly, "This is Jax and Sonja Blade, partners in a law enforcement agency who fight against—"

"Oh, so like your dad. Is that why you chose him?"

"I suppose, in a manner of speaking—"

"Do you think he'd give me a pair of handcuffs?"

Quinn pressed her smile into Rachel's shoulder and Rachel faltered, allowing Puck's character to get a hit in before she retaliated quickly, "I am quite sure that won't be possible."

Santana interrupted, "Actually, Berry, what's up with that?"

"Police officers are not allowed to give handcuffs out willy-nilly!"

"Not that. Your dad, daddy, whatever the hell you call him."

Rachel's brow furrowed in confusion even as she continued to beat Puck, "Are you referring to his apron? The color and logo refer to the superhero Green Lantern, more specifically John Stewart. Not only is he one of few black superheroes, but he is also from Detroit. My father loves most things from Detroit because of its rich multicultural history, sports teams, and because his grandfather originated from there. Or are you referring to his occupation? He originally wanted to join the armed forces, but as an out homosexual that was no longer an option. He chose to serve as a police officer instead."

"I'm not talking about that either."

"Then I fail to see the focus of your inquiry."

"He's black, Rachel. One of your dads is black."

Rachel froze. She wasn't sure if she was more surprised by Santana's outburst or the fact that the other girl had used her name. She turned slowly to face Santana and realized everyone else was doing the same.

"What the hell, Lopez?"

"Santana!"

"Well duh, S. Of course one of Rachel's dads is black."

Rachel shook her head as if to clear it before narrowing her eyes, "He is. Is that a problem?"

Santana backpedaled quickly, crossing her arms defensively over her chest, "What? No! It's not a problem. I was just really freaking shocked. You've never mentioned it before and they've never shown up to any Glee performances…"

"Is that why you were gaping in the kitchen and acting so peculiar? They've had a horrible string of luck with Glee. They've been called into separate work emergencies several times and the transmission on their car even went out once on their way to one of our performances. Also, I supposed everyone knew one of my fathers was African American. I highly doubt there are that many gay interracial couples in Lima. I even have pictures of them in my locker!"

"Well, I never looked in your locker."

"Why is this an issue?"

Santa scowled so Brittany rubbed her arm. "It's not an issue, Berry. It's just…I didn't expect it. I've always pictured both your parents as white or Jewish, I suppose, and fashionable. And neither is true. Though know I can see where you picked up your ridiculous fashion sense."

Rachel bristled and Quinn started rubbing soothing circles on her sides. "Well, I'm so sorry I don't conform to your preconceived notions. Also, I would like to point out that I'm a member of the Black Student Union and I know I've mentioned that before."

"I figured you were padding your resume."

Rachel huffed, "That's completely outrageous."

Santana rolled her eyes, "Whatever. Lots of people do it. But my question is, is he your father? Because before I would have guessed the short Jewish one, but now that I've seen both of them I'm not so sure."

Brittany gasped, pulling away from her, "Santana! That's so mean! How can you say that? Both Dr. Bear and Officer Big Bear are Rachel's dads!"

Santana reached for her hand, eyes wide, "Britts, I didn't mean it like that. Of course they're both her parents. I was just asking if the big one is her bio dad."

Rachel could honestly say that she never expected to be having this conversation with Santana Lopez. Then again, she never expected to be dating Quinn Fabray either. She wasn't quite sure how to proceed. It wasn't exactly any of the other girl's business, though she did understand the curiosity. Once in a while, Rachel's own curiosity pricked as well, but she had ultimately decided not to find out unless medical emergency made it necessary. Should she tell them that she inherited her flair for dramatics from Hiram, along with the stubborn set of her jaw and her absolute love of pickled beets? Or should she mention Elias who, despite being over six foot himself, had a grandmother who was barely over five feet, or how her eyes seemed to crinkle at the corners in the exact same pattern his did, or the fact that he had a mole in between the first and second toes on his right foot and so did she?

Rachel sighed, locking eyes with Santana, "Though you're not entitled to that information, I will share that I don't technically know. They haven't done a DNA test to my knowledge and, if they did, they haven't shared the results with me. Either I'm completely Jewish or I'm half Jewish and half African American. Either way, I was raised as if I belonged to both cultures. My fathers have taught me to respect and learn from both heritages. I've been taunted about both ethnicities by bigoted people because I was too Jewish, too black, or not black enough. Add that to the slurs against my fathers' sexuality and the implications about my own…"

She felt Quinn tremble behind her and Brittany was frowning. Puck looked grim and Santana looked focused. Rachel placed the controller on her lap and covered Quinn's arms with her own, squeezing gently.

She continued. "I'm trying to articulate that I could care less. I claim both of my father's completely and totally and it doesn't matter which one of them contributed to my biological makeup."

Santana nodded once and broke eye contact, turning her attention toward Brittany, but Rachel thought she saw something like respect flash through her eyes. She felt herself relax.

"Are there any other questions?" She asked good-naturedly.

Puck and Brittany both raised their hands. Puck nodded towards Brittany, "Ladies first."

The blonde smiled, "Are we only going to get vegetables for dinner?"

Rachel smiled back. "No. While I am a vegan, the rest of the family is not. And while Dad likes to eat kosher most of the time, Daddy and my aunts have no such preferences. The food tonight will be a mix of all three."

She supposed it was a bit funny that she could feel Quinn relax behind her. She looked toward Puck, indicating that it was his turn.

He leaned forward eagerly, "So your aunts are coming? The scary cool one? I thought Hiram's family lived clear in Indianapolis and that Elias' family didn't speak to you?"

Quinn spoke tentatively, "You dad's family don't speak to any of you?"

Rachel supposed her girlfriend was so tense because that was one of her biggest fears, being disowned from her family again. She felt like she'd had to reveal an awful lot of herself today, but knew she'd have to explain. She squeezed the blonde's arm again.

"Dad's family has always been 100% supportive, both of the homosexual and interracial aspects of my parents' relationship. My Oma Mina and Opa Asher are very loving people. There's also my dad's cousin, more like his sister really, Aunt Rebecca, and her husband, Uncle John, and their twins Leon and Gus, as well as various extended family members. You're more likely to meet them around Chanukah or Passover than today. As for Daddy, well, his family stopped speaking to him when he came out at seventeen. Technically, on his side I have two grandparents and five aunts and their respective husbands and children. Daddy actually went to Carmel High and most of his family still lives on that side of town. We rarely run into them. Unfortunately, they got to the Baptist church next to the synagogue we attend, so there have been a few incidents. Actually, Azimio Adams is my cousin, which I imagine is a big part of why he dislikes me so much."

Puck's mouth dropped open, "No shit? Why didn't you tell me?"

Rachel smiled sadly, "That altercation didn't occur until sixth grade and we weren't talking then."

He nodded grimly and gave her a small smile, "Well, which aunts are going to be here tonight?"

Rachel fidgeted before grasping Quinn's arms tightly. Would the blonde ever want to hold her again after she found out her aunt's identity? Would Puck feel betrayed? Would Brittany somehow already know? She forged on.

"Well, when Daddy got kicked out a girl in his class and her sister adopted him as their own. They've stuck together ever since. He actually considered changing his last name to match them, but decided he was going to prove to his family that a Berry could be good, successful, and gay, which is also why Dad changed his last name when they married."

Puck nodded, "That's cool. What are they like?"

Rachel took a breath and let it out slowly. "Well, Aunt Jean is…cheerful, funny, loyal, and very insightful. She also has Down's Syndrome. And my aunt…my Aunt Sue is…"

"Hungry," A voice interjected from behind them.

They all jumped and turned to find Sue Sylvester standing in the entryway to the living room.

"Hungry and tired of listening to the painfully polite descriptions of those rotten Berrys. They're animals. Only animals throw their children out in the cold and leave them to die."

Rachel's throat felt as if she'd swallowed a roll of toilet paper. Quinn was squeezing her so tight it felt as if she would bruise, her knuckles white where they clutched at Rachel's shirt. Puck's jaw had practically unhinged and a strange gurgling noise came from his throat. Santana's eyes seemed to bulge out of their sockets and Brittany's eyes were wide with confusion though a smile was slowly forming on her face. Rachel shifted as if to stand and Quinn made a soft whimpering sound. The brunette stilled and squared her shoulders.

"Aunt Sue, I'm glad you could make it. Is Aunt Jean in with Daddy?"

Sue smirked as she surveyed their reactions before focusing on Rachel and frowning slightly.

"It pains me to inform you that your aunt's caught a bit of a stomach bug. Apparently they recently hired a new piss poor excuse for a chef who probably hadn't even mastered the use of an easy bake oven and he gave your aunt food poisoning. I fired him myself and personally removed him from the building. She's sleeping it off now, but she wanted me to tell you she's proud and she hopes you can visit on Sunday."

Rachel wondered if the cook was still alive. Maybe. If he was alive, he certainly wasn't unharmed.

"I most assuredly visit on Sunday. I'll have to call and check on her tomorrow."

Sue nodded, "Excellent. Dr. Do-Little sent me to tell you the food is ready."

Nobody moved.

"Well, get a move on!" she barked and jerked her head to indicate that they should follow her.

Brittany bounced up dragging Santana with her. Puck glanced at Rachel, mouthing "Holy Shit" before he followed them out.

Rachel twisted so she could see Quinn's face. She was slightly pale, her brow furrowed. The emotions were swirling so quickly through her eyes that Rachel couldn't quite read them. The brunette could feel her eyes beginning to water.

"Quinn," she whimpered.

This seemed to snap the blonde out of her daze and something frantic and possessive crossed her eyes before she let go of Rachel's waist only to grab her head and pull her down for a quick, forceful kiss. Rachel brought her hands up and cupped Quinn's face even as the cheerleader pulled back, searching her eyes.

"Mine," Quinn rasped, "You're still mine."

Rachel's eyes softened. She didn't think it was a question, but she answered as if it was.

"Yes. And you're mine."

Quinn pressed their foreheads together and closed her eyes.

"Okay…Okay."

She took deep breath and let it out slowly before opening her eyes again.

"We can talk about proper communication later, but let's go. We don't want to keep them waiting."

Rachel nodded and brushed her lips against Quinn's forehead before slipping off her lap and offering her a hand up. The blonde took it and pulled herself up from the couch. There was a beat of silence, of stillness. Quinn stared at their still connected hands before straightening her shoulders and looking up, a familiar smirk on her face, one eyebrow raised.

"By the way, I believe you made it through practice in one piece. I had intended to keep my promise, but now I'm not so sure. I think you kind of owe me now."

Rachel sputtered as a blush stained her face. Quinn laughed, bright and genuine, tugging her out of the room. She didn't let her hand go.


	17. Chapter 17

The Berry family typically ate their meals at a reasonably sized round table in the kitchen. It was a practice Elias brought with him from his time spent at the Sylvester home. There was no head at a round table. Everyone was equally strong, equally important, equally in control, and equally accountable. They were all within reach of each other if there were any problems- food needing cut, accidental choking, etc. A round table in the kitchen had ensured that Sue, Elias, and Jean were able to cook, eat, and plot how to survive like a well oiled machine. It served the same purpose in the Berry household. The round table was for trusted family or a small, comfy number of guests. But when there were too many guests, people who weren’t trusted, or people who needed to be intimidated, they were put in the dining room. The extremely formal dining room.

Hiram and Elias might not have been the most fashionable or had the best sense of taste or dress, but they were intelligent enough to be able to mimic someone else’s aesthetic. They spent months watching movies, looking through magazines, and reading horror and mystery novels in order to craft the perfect room that could reflect either peaceful extravagant beauty or sheer terror and intimidation depending on the dinner conversation. The wood of the floors, rectangular table, and chairs was dark. The legs ended in claws. The walls were a deep wine red and all of the light fixtures, knick knacks and are in the room were made up of sharp edges and tasteful bone. It had worked well on several occasions, including talking some sense into a cocky rookie cop and dissuading a very persistent door to door vacuum salesman from knocking again. Currently, it was also working very well on Rachel’s guests.

Her parents had gone all out to celebrate her successful placement on the football team. There was a rather large pink banner exclaiming ‘Congratulations’ and a mix of star and football shaped balloons either floating on the ceiling or tied to various surfaces. The disposable plates and napkins were in McKinley red and black and the table was absolutely loaded with food-- cookies, vegetables, hummus, and cheese platters, bacon wrapped green beans (vegan, turkey, and traditional pork), chips and salsa, pickled beets, tiny sandwiches of assorted varieties, and much more. However, even the cheerful decorations and delicious smelling food couldn’t completely disguise the slight hint of menace in the room, and, as Rachel and Quinn sad down at the table, Rachel had the niggling feeling that it was purposeful.

Her daddy and aunt sat at the two end or head positions of the table. Her dad was on her daddy’s right and Puck was on his left. Santana was on Sue’s left and Brittany sat between Santana and Hiram. That left Quinn on Sue’s right and Rachel sitting across from Brittany and in between her best friend and her girlfriend. The expressions around the room were mixed. Her daddy seemed completely calm, in control, and perfectly pleasant as he chatted with Noah. It was the perfectly pleasant part that had Rachel’s sixth sense going off because her father was never perfectly anything. He believed in messes, mistakes, and greatness, but not perfection, and so the perfectly pleasant facade was a clear indicator that something was going on. Puck seemed only a little fidgety but mostly relaxed and happy. He’d always liked her parents. Her dad was in an animated discussion with an equally animated Brittany and a Santana who seemed one part begrudgingly amused and three parts acutely aware that she was sitting next to Sue Sylvester. Sue, who looked far too pleased if the smirk on her face was anything to go by. That was the face she wore when everything was going according to plan. And Quinn, poor Quinn… She had a small pleasant smile plastered on her face, but had yet to let go of Rachel’s hand and the brunette could feel the tension radiating from her body. Really, Rachel wasn’t sure how much more the blonde could take. She’d had to sit through tryouts, watch Rachel get tackled, have Sue taunt her, come to a party with Puck and both of Rachel’s parents, only to find out that Sue was Rachel’s aunt. Rachel was fairly positive that her aunt wasn’t finished causing mayhem, possibly aided by her perfectly pleasant father. Rachel sighed inwardly. She really hoped everyone survived the night.

“Attention! Attention,” Hiram exclaimed, standing and raising his glass. He looked around, smiling warmly as everyone turned their focus onto him. “Firstly, I would like to thank everyone for attending our celebration on such short notice. Secondly, I’d like to call your attention to the colored toothpicks on the edges of the plates. Yellow indicates a vegan dish and green indicates non kosher and or pork product. Thirdly, I would like to extend my congratulations. Though we’re here to celebrate Rachel’s achievements, I’ve been informed she’s not the only one who has accomplished something today. So, to Quinn and Santana for becoming co captains of the cheerleading squad, good luck. I’m sure you know with Sue that you’re going to need it. To Noah, for pulling himself together and maintaining his position on the team. To Brittany, for maintaining her position on the squad. And, finally, to Rachel, our little star. I’m not sure why you’re determined to give me a heart attack by playing this barbaric sport, but I admire your tenacity and determination and I congratulate you on making the team. So, masel tov, prost, and cheers!”

Quinn released Rachel’s hand in order to clap along with the rest of them as they cheered and Puck whistled loudly. Rachel felt relaxed and happy as Quinn smiled genuinely next to her.

Elias cleared his throat, “Alright everyone, let’s eat!”

Rachel smiled contently as everyone began reaching for various dishes. She could honestly say that she’d never experienced this before, never expect to be able to experience it while she was in highschool. She was surrounded by people who cared for her, friends and family, or at least people who were happy for her. Santana might not truly care for her yet, but she had acknowledged Rachel’s football skills and stopped insulting her and that was progress. Puck nudged her out of her thoughts.

“Superstar! This tastes exactly like the salsa from the b-- that one place we went.”

Rachel bounced a little in her seat, “Really?”

“Yeah! How did they get the recipe?”

Elias chuckled, drawing their attention. “You mean how did we get the recipe from the bar you’re not supposed to go to until you’re twenty one?”

Puck winced, “Shi-- Mr. Elias…”

Elias waved his hand, “Don’t worry about it. What’s important is we have the recipe so you and

Rachel don’t have to go to the bar to get it ever again. Got it?”

Puck nodded, “Yes, sir.”

“Wait, wait, wait.” Santana leaned forward eagerly, “Berry snuck off to a bar?”

Rachel sniffed delicately, “I assure you nothing untoward occured.”

“Untoward?” Santana cackled, “Did you get grounded?”

Rachel sent her her fiercest glare, “I don’t believe that’s any of your business.”

Brittany put her hand on Santana’s arm, “S, be nice. Sorry Rach, she’s super nosy. She collects secrets like she collects Wonder Woman stuff.”

“Brittany!” the other girl squawked.

Rachel bit her lip to hide a smile. Quinn had no such reservations. “Oh, S, your geek is showing.”

Elias spoke up, “Hey, no superhero hate in this house. The girl obviously has good taste. Us DC

fans have to stick together.”

Santana straightened her shoulders and mimed popping her collar, “Damn, er, dang straight, Officer B.”

“Language, she-devil,” Sue barked, “Hiram gets hives if you use grown up language around him.”

Hiram blustered, “I do not, you harridan!”

“Anal retentive troll doll.”

“Demented barbie.”

Elias rapped his knuckles on the table, an amused smile on his face, “Hey. Timeout. I think you broke the kids.”

Rachel was used to her dad and her aunt bickering back and forth. It happened at least once every time they spoke to each other. They didn’t even have to be in the same room. She had long ago learned that was how they expressed their affection for each other. It also extended to pretty epic April Fools day pranks that were only allowed on that day to avoid general destruction and mayhem throughout the year. It was the only time her dad participated in “such frivolous nonsense.” Rachel’s guests, however, looked on with wide eyes as Sue and Hiram exchanged rather fierce glares.

“Oh!” Brittany gasped, “Now everything totally makes sense.”

Santana blinked, “What does, B?”

Brittany smiled brightly, “I was confused at first about Coach being Rachel’s aunt but I just realized they totally have the same scary face. Like the face Coach uses whenever one of the baby cheerios messes up is the exact same face Rache uses when nobody listens in glee.”

There was a beat of silence before Puck slapped Rachel in the arm, “Dude! You unleash the Sylvester glare of Doom on us?!”

Rachel wiped her mouth delicately, “Any good leader knows that one must utilize everything at his or her disposal in order to motivate the team.”

Sue nodded, “Absolutely everything, whether that’s sheer terror, jazzercise pants, or a secondhand cannon. I’m glad you pay attention at our meetings.”

Quinn leaned toward Rachel and murmured, “You have meetings?”

Rachel simply replied with a sheepish smile.

Puck raised his hand, “Can I just say that I’m completely freakin awed and totally confused. This a like a big freakin secret and it’s cool you’re telling us, but why are you telling us?” He paused for a second, “Oh shit, are you going to kill us now?”

Sue and Elias shared a long look.

Hiram gasped, “Elias Johnathan Berry! Susan Rodham Sylvester! There will be no dead bodies in this house!”

Sue rolled her eyes, “Technically-”

“No matter what Rachel says the animals we’re eating don’t count!”

“Dad!”

“Sorry, pumpkin, but there’s a big difference between dead pig and dead teenager.”

Quinn muttered under her breath, “If it’s Puckerman, there isn’t that much of a difference.”

Pucked squeaked, “Hey!”

“Well, if the hoof fits…”

“Ladies, gentleman,” Elias called, “Let’s all take a minute to calm down.” Leaning over, he placed his hand on Hiram’s, “Sweetheart, you know Sue and I would never kill anyone in front of you.”

Sue snorted, “I for one am deeply offended that you would think  either of us is incompetent enough to kill people whose parents are fully aware of their location. You never assassinate someone if your presence or location is linked to their last known whereabouts.”

Brittany popped a piece of cheese in her mouth, “Actually, me and San’s parents think we’re at Quinn’s house.”

Santana clamped her hand over the blonde’s mouth. “B! Don’t tell them that,” she hissed.

Hiram waved his hand towards the two girls, “Look! The two of you are scaring the children!”

Elias patted his hand and continued confidently.

“Let me finish. We are are not going to physically harm anyone, but Sue and I thought it was supremely important to take this opportunity to clear a few things up. I know you don’t really like confrontations. Just trust us.”

“The last time I trusted Sue, Rachel ended up signed up for capoeira!”

“Hiram…”

“Fine,” he sighed, “Grant us you secrets, O Great Ones.”

Elias looked over the table, making sure to catch everyone’s eyes at least once, “First, I feel obligated to remind you that you’re free to leave at anytime. But, if you do, you’re likely to be unwelcome in my home for a long time.”

“Daddy!” Rachel cried, confused and a little embarrassed.

He held up his hand, “Rachel. Stop.” He looked at her intently. “Do you think we’re good parents?”

Rachel blinked, “What?”

“It’s a simple question. Do you think your dad and I are good parents?”

“Yes, of course,” she said softly.

“Then let me continue to be a good parent. I was going to wait until after the dessert, but…” he shrugged, and looked out over the table again, “It would be entirely irresponsible of me to invite you all into me home without having a frank discussion about the fact that all four of you have, in one way or another, been responsible for bullying, abusing, and tormenting my daughter for the last two years.”

Rachel felt Quinn tense beside her so she placed her hand on Quinn’s. Quinn squeezed back, never taking her eyes off Elias. Rachel took note of the frown growing on Brittany’s face and the tension in Santana’s shoulders, as if she was ready to battle her way out of the room if necessary. She looked to her right and saw Puck’s slumped shoulders and she reached out and grabbed his hand too.

Her father continued speaking.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to comfort my daughter after she’s been attacked, how many times I’ve gone up to that school and complained and been told their hands were tied or there wasn’t enough proof, how many hundreds of dollars of clothes have been destroyed. And now, you’re in my home telling me you’re her friends at the very least. As far as I can tell, you’re all sincere. Especially you two, Noah, Quinn, I can see that you generally care for my daughter and that Rachel has given you a clean slate. But, as a parent, I can’t. I can’t until I know that you’re aware of what exactly was on your slate to begin with. Do you understand?”

Quinn nodded solemnly, “I know I’ve done some stupid, petty, horrible things.”

“But I’m not sure you realize how horrible. At least, I hope you don’t. I hope that you’re not that viciously cruel. Because I’d be very concerned about what kind of adults you’d become. Are you willing to sit and listen?”

Quinn nodded again and Puck straightened his shoulders as if he was facing an executioner. Brittany still seemed confused, the frown continuing to grow.

“Miss Lopez?”

Santana shifted, “I’m not sure I want to sit here and be yelled at.”

“I promise you, I will not raise my voice, stand up, or make aggressive movements or gestures. If you want to leave, I understand. But you’re not welcome back until we have some form of this conversation.”

Sue spoke, “Lopez, I just made you captain and since I’ve not mastered the necromatic rituals to reanimate a corpse, nothing will happen to you.”

Santana nodded once, chin tilted upward in defiance, “Fine.”

“Now, I’m sure you think it’s not a big deal, a little culling of the herd, keeping order, just a little humiliation. I’ve here to tell you it’s a very big deal. The things you’ve done are criminal. If you’d done those things in any other building besides that school, you’d have been charged with a crime, sued for damages, or both. And your language is some of the most transphobic, racist garbage I’ve heard in a long time and you’re bordering on catching a hate crime.”

Santana sputtered, “Racism? Whoa. I don’t do racism.”

“Exactly that. And I’m not saying you specifically. After all, it can be hard to pinpoint which cheerleader said what without a warrant I don’t have. But one of the most repeated comments on Rachel’s videos is that she should sterilize or kill herself. Now, I want you to think about that for a minute. You all were probably thinking, what, she needed to stop spreading her ‘loser’ genes or something like that? And maybe, maybe, that’s all you were thinking. But I doubt it and I’m not sure you’re even aware of your own prejudice. Because Rachel is a woman of ethnicity,  a woman of color, and it’s not the first time in history a group of those in charge thought a women like her should be sterilized. Hiram’s parents were lucky, some of his aunts and uncles, his grandparents, not so much. They burned because some of the popular kids didn’t like them spreading their loser genes. And my ancestors, people of color, there are still horror stories coming out of men being attacked and castrated, women being injured to the point they can’t reproduce, both men and women being tricked or cornered into being sterilized by medical professionals or government officials. And that’s in this country in the last sixty years. And when you go online and post those comments, or sit back and laugh while it’s happening, those are the voices you’re speaking with and laughing with.”

He paused for a moment, letting that information sink in. Rachel was almost certain her hand was turning purple with how tight Quinn’s grip was. The blonde looked particularly green. Rachel hadn’t seen that color on her since morning sickness had kicked in. Across the table, Santana looked angry and pale and Brittany’s eyes were burning with tears. Puck’s jaw was clenched tightly. Her daddy continued.

“That’s the slate you’re trying to wipe clean today. A big, ugly slate. But it means something that you’re here. It means something that you’ve stayed and listened. You can’t change until you know what you did wrong, and it would not be fair or responsible for me to let you around my family into our safe space, without letting you know.” He looked them all in the eyes again, “And I want you to know that this is a safe place, not just because I’m a cop or Hiram’s a doctor, or because we’re gay men. We’ve always believed that everyone should have a safe spot. It’s no Fortress of Solitude or Themyscira…”

Santana’s eyebrow arched upward.

“...It’s just a house in the subarbs of Lima with far too much tofurkey…”

“Daddy!”

“...But we have some edible food and comfortable couches. And if you ever need them, they’re yours. No questions asked. Now that I’ve said my piece, you’re welcome here.”

Sue sneered, “Now that the lovey dovey mush for Hiram’s sake is out of the way. The Berry Sylvester family has several rules that must be followed in order for you to survive. One, if you insult Jean, you die. Two, all Nazis must be squarely punched in the face. Three, any property destroying shenanigans are saved solely for April Fools day. Four, no unapproved persons may learn of our secret until graduation. Congratulations, you’ve been approved as conditional members. The only way out is death or a blood oath that names me as heir to your fortune. Fifth, there are some insults that are out of bounds. Elias named them. Any others are fair game and encouraged.”

Brittany raised her hand, her eyes still watery.

“Yes?”

“What if I don’t have a fortune? Does Lord Tubbington count? Or my collection of duckies? You’ll only take them if I break the rules, right?”

“Yes. Or I’d consider your first born child or adopted, I don’t discriminate.”

“Susan! That’s enough.”

“It’s only enough when I say it’s enough. Besides, technically I already own their souls until they graduate per their cheerleading contracts.”

Rachel blinked,  leaning over to Quinn, “Is that clause really in there?”

Quinn shook herself, still a little pale, “It’s twenty seven pages long in five point font. I’m not sure what was in there.”

Rachel winced, “Oh Quinn, it’s entirely necessary to read contracts, even if it requires a microscope and five different reference books.”

Quinn frowned, “McKinley didn’t have an English to Kurdish dictionary.”

Rachel pursed her lips, “I’m not certain the contracts would be legally enforceable then, arguments about ownership of a soul, or even the existence of the soul aside. That said there are some fascinating studies about cell memory that some people argue counts for some of the instances of documented reincarnation and-”

She swallowed as Quinn’s finger rested on her lips.

“As adorable as your babbling can be, I’m still trying to figure out if Coach was bluffing about the necromantic ritual.”

“Sue Sylvester never bluffs,” Sue barked, “And if she did, her bluffs would be so entirely convincing they would become truths and thus never be bluffs at all.”

Puck ran his hand over his mowhawk. “Babe, is that a riddle kinda like those two doors where one always tells the truth and one always lies. You know, the movie with the sparkly owls and the crotch bulge.”

Rachel was scandalized, “The movie with the crotch bulge? That’s how you refer to the David Bowie classic, The Labyrinth?”

Puck shrugged, “It was pretty epic. Dude looked like he was wearing a codpiece.”

“Oh! Does that mean he had a fish in his pants?” Brittany asked. “That seems like it would be cold and slimy. Lord Tubbington dropped a goldfish in my shoe once. I named it Goldilocks, but my shoe wasn’t just right so my dad took it fishing with him.”

“The Labyrinth?” Santana scoffed, “Glittery owls?”

“I think they sound pretty. Rachel is a glittery owl and she’s pretty.”

“Why thank you, Brittany.” Rachel smiled as Quinn’s grip on her hand changed from desperate to possessive. “But Santana, surely you’re not implying you have never seen the cinematic and musical phenomenon known as the Labyrinth? The perfect blend of whimsy and terror, fairy tale and reality?”

Santana scowled, crossing her arms, “I’m not implying, I’m stating.”

“Unacceptable.” Rachel quickly stood from her chair, “Dad, Daddy, Aunt Sue…” The three adults looked up from their rather intense discussion, “...There is an absolute emergency. Santana Lopez doesn’t know about the babe. We must rectify it immediately or I’m afraid she will spend the rest of her existence unenlightened.”

“Wonderful,” Hiram explained, “Take whatever snacks you wants and go to the living room and put it on while the three of us continue our discussion on hosting etiquette.”

Brittany practically leapt from her seat, “Yay movie time! Oh, I don’t have my slippers.”

Elias smiled at her, “I have a pair of fake monster feet you can use.”

“Ooo, I bet they’re super warm.” Tugging Santana with her, she hugged both Elias and Hiram. “I’m sorry people were mean and I’m sorry I was mean and let them. I won’t ever let anyone set Rachel on fire.”

Hiram patted her gently on the back, “I know you won’t. Go enjoy the movie. Rachel will get you those feet.”

Santana simply nodded to both of them, tense and thoughtful and Brittany pulled her into the living room.

Puck stood. “You’d better not hog all the blankets!” He called after them. For a moment, he looked guiltily at Hiram and Elias.

Hiram waved him away, “No guilty face. You’re always welcome here.” Elias nodded in agreement.

Puck’s shoulders relaxed, the confident swagger returning as he sauntered into the next room with a plate of sandwiches stacked high. “What the hell? That doesn’t mean take the pillows instead.”

Rachel tugged at Quinn’s hand, trying to get the blonde to stand.  

Quinn refused to budge, instead taking a deep breath, her eyes intense and focused as she addressed Rachel’s fathers. “How could you trust me with her? If you believe all that you just said, how could you trust me with her? How could you forgive me?”

Elias leaned back in his chair, respect in his eyes, “Because you listened and you’re considering it. You’re aware now and you’re going to think about it. Because as nearly grown as you are, you’re still children, as much as Rachel likes to insist otherwise, and I can’t expect you to know everything. Ignorance is forgivable, willing ignorance isn’t. We all make mistakes, Quinn. Rachel is smitten with you, you make her happy. Even if it doesn’t work out and the two of you break up, you’ll still be welcome here if you need a safe place. Everyone who shows a willingness to change deserves a second chance.”

“No one is perfect, Quinn.” Hiram said kindly. “Life is a wonderful, terrifying thing. We make lots of mistakes, good and bad during it. Rachel sees something in you and she’s told us many things about you. I look forward getting to know you. Now go watch that movie. Rachel is going to vibrate out of her shoes if you make her wait much longer.”

Rachel huffed, her cheeks warm with embarrassment. “I will have you know that the frequency of vibrations required to--”

Quinn chuckled, finally standing. “Come on. Show me this glitter bulge.”

Rachel gasped as she pulled the cheerleader toward the living room, “Quinn, surely you’re not suggesting that you’ve never seen--”

Out of sight of her parents, Quinn kissed her quickly, her lips warm and soft. “I’m suggesting that we share your spot and you keep me warm.”

Rachel blushed, “I think that would be a perfectly acceptable arrangement.”

“Despite my ignorance?” Quinn teased, though there was something serious in her eyes.

Rachel brought Quinn’s hand to her mouth and delicately kissed her knuckles. “I knew who you were when I agreed to date you and I look forward to being by your side as you grow into the person you’re going to be. I hope we grow together.”

“So do I,” Quinn said softly, “So do I.”


End file.
